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BMW Group reports best February sales ever

Friday, 15 March 2013 00:01 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Munich: With 133,630 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand automobiles delivered worldwide (+4.7% / prev. yr. 127,638), the BMW Group achieved its best-ever February sales result. A record number of 256,929 (prev. yr. 239,802) vehicles have been delivered to customers since the start of the year – an increase of +7.1% compared with the same period last year.

“In February the BMW Group achieved another healthy increase in sales and we intend to continue the positive development with exciting new models throughout the year”, said Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW. Robertson continued: “With the new BMW 3 Series GT, which premiered this week at the Geneva Auto Salon, we are expanding our highly successful 3 Series range with an innovative new model for our customers.”

A total of 114,908 BMW brand vehicles were sold worldwide in February, an increase of +7.0% (prev. yr. 107,362). Year-to-date, sales are +9.2% higher at 222,207 vehicles than for the same period last year (prev. yr. 203,546).

In the first two months of the year there was particularly strong demand for the BMW X1 with 23,118 units sold, an increase of 40.1% over the previous year (16,505). The BMW 3 Series has also been one of the growth drivers worldwide in the first two months with a total of 63,103 vehicles delivered, an increase of 26.2% compared to the same period last year (49,997).

Demand for the BMW 5 Series continued to be strong in the first two months, with sales climbing +7.4% to 47,157 vehicles (prev. yr. 43,893). The BMW 6 Series also achieved solid gains with 3,271 vehicles sold year to date, an increase of 36.1% over the previous year (2,404). The MINI brand reported 18,527 cars delivered worldwide in February (prev. yr. 20,021/-7.5%). In the first two months of the year, 34,391 MINI cars were delivered to customers (prev. yr. 35,789 / -3.9%). The MINI Countryman climbed to 13,645 cars, an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period last year (prev. yr. 12,448). The launch of the MINI Paceman in mid-March is expected to bring further momentum to global sales for the brand.

The BMW Group achieved growth in Europe last month with a total of 61,251 deliveries, an increase of 6.6% on the previous year (57,437). The company managed to offset headwinds in some European markets through gains in others, such as Great Britain/Ireland, where sales climbed 26.7% to 6,928 vehicles (prev. yr. 5,470), and in Russia where sales jumped by 28.0% to 3,261 units (prev. yr. 2,548).

In Germany, BMW Group registrations were at last year’s level with a total of 17,960 (prev. yr. 18,213) vehicles. Year to date, registrations in Germany have increased by 4.5% to 36,841 vehicles (prev. yr. 35,241). In the first two months of the year, BMW Group sales in Europe increased by 7.3% to a total of 111,868 vehicles (prev. yr. 104,268). In Asia, deliveries climbed 6.3% to 36,879 (prev. yr. 34,701) vehicles last month. A total of 23,449 units were delivered in Mainland China (prev. yr. 22,916 /+2.3%). Year to date, sales have climbed 9.0% in Mainland China to 53,846 vehicles (prev. yr. 49,421). Other Asian markets, such as Japan (7,605/+10.0%) and South Korea (5,718/+27.9%) reported significant rates of growth in the first two months of the year, to contribute to a total of 79,993 vehicles (prev. yr.: 71,123) sold in Asia year to date.

BMW Motorrad sales remained around last year’s level in February with a total of 6,847 motorcycles delivered (prev. yr. 6,841/+0.1%). Year-to-date, 11,665 motorcycles have been sold (prev. yr. 12,078/-3.4%).

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