Audi, BMW report increase in November sales
FRANKFURT - FRANKFURT (AP) — German carmakers Audi AG and BMW AG said Tuesday their global sales improved in November as the recession eased and demand rose strongly, especially in developing markets.
BMW, the world's biggest builder of luxury cars, said its global group sales rose 11.5 percent to 107,686 cars in November.
The company, based in Munich, said it sold 90,383 BMW-branded cars for the month, up 11 percent.
Rival carmaker Audi said it saw an 8.9 percent increase in November, due particularly to demand in the Chinese market, which has more than doubled its sales from a year ago.
Audi, a unit of Europe's largest auto group, Volkswagen AG, said it sold 82,750 cars for the month, compared with 75,965 in November of 2008.
Based in Ingolstadt, Audi said its overall sales for the first 11 months of the year declined 5.4 percent.
BMW's sales for the January-November period fell 12 percent.
"Since September, sales have been back on the growth track," Ian Robertson, BMW's board member responsible for sales and marketing, said in the company's report.
"In November we achieved another substantial increase in our global deliveries. We intend to continue this trend in December," Robertson said.
For November, BMW's Mini brand saw its sales increase nearly 14 percent while sales of the super-luxury Rolls Royce brand declined by 5.5 percent. The BMW motorcycles division saw sales drop 4.7 percent.
BMW sales rose most in Asia, where they jumped more than 33 percent.
Europe posted an 11 percent increase for the month with Eastern Europe contributing strongly. Africa reported a sales increase of more than 10 percent for the month.
BMW sales in the U.S. declined 7.5 percent to 18,272 vehicles sold in November, while other markets in the Americas improved. Brazil, for example, reported a 416 percent increase in sales, which helped the overall Americas region report only a 1.3 percent decline in November.
BMW said among the overall best-sellers were the Z4 sports car and the BMW 7 Series limousine.
Audi said its November gains came largely in the Asia-Pacific and Americas markets.
Sales in China, including Hong Kong, rose 102 percent in November.
In the U.S., sales were only slightly higher for the month at 6,810 vehicles, but still better than the competitions' results, Audi said. Sales in Brazil and Canada, among other countries, also increased.
Audi November sales in Europe declined 4.4 percent to 51,800 cars.
The company said some of the best sellers overall were the Audi A3 sportback and the Q5 SUV.
Shares of BMW were up more than 1 percent at €32.95 ($48.77), while Audi's were about half a percent lower at €469.47 in Frankfurt morning trading.
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