Global sales: December 2008: Audi, BMW, MB

[ACE]

BMW

BMW: 97,256 (-26.2%) ... YTD 1,202,239 (-5.8%)
MINI: 15,010 (-27.8%) ... YTD 232,425 (+4.3%)
Rolls-Royce: 1570 (-16.9%) ... YTD 1,212 (+20.0%)
BMW Group Automobile: 112,423 (-26.4%) ... YTD 1,435,876 (-4.3%)


MERCEDES - BENZ

MB: 87,000 (-17.8%) ... YTD 1,121,700 (-5.4%)
smart: 11,300 (+11.9%) ... YTD 134,800 (+34.0%)
Mercedes-Benz Cars: 98,400 (-15.2%) ... YTD 1,256,600 (-2.3%)

* Mercedes Dec month numbers were calculated by subtracting Nov YTD from Dec YTD numbers.

Audi

Audi: 82,800 (+17.4%) ... YTD 1,003,400 (4.1%)

 

[Merc1]

Audi sure bucked the trend. They wouldn't dare over ship cars to the U.S. so somewhere in the world Audi is on fire.



M

 

[EnI]

Audi sure bucked the trend. They wouldn't dare over ship cars to the U.S. so somewhere in the world Audi is on fire.

M

Press release says good result is due strong sales of A4 & Q5 especially. FL A3 & A6 also contributed to the good annual result.

The December was very strong on Western Europe (+ 22.7%; YTD +2.5%), Germany (+7.0%; YTD +0.8% ), and in Asia-Pacific region (+15.6%; YTD also +15.6%).


****

December sales numbers in Germany are in particular interesting:

Audi: 20,965 (+7.0%) ... YTD 251,393 (+0.8%)
BMW incl MINI: 22,223 (-8.3%) ... YTD 284,767 (+0.01%)
BMW w/o MINI: approx. 20,000 ... YTD approx. 255,000
MB w/o smart: 18,282 (-12.7%) ... YTD 327,965 (+0.1%)
Toyota + Lexus: 5,381 (-53.3%) ... YTD 96,781 (-27.0%)

 

[Merc1]

I see. Go Audi.

M

 

[EnI]

MB:

MB: 87,100 (-17.8%) ... YTD 1,121,700 (-5.4%)
smart: 11,300 (+11.9%) ... YTD 134,800 (+34.0%)
Mercedes-Benz Cars: 98,400 (-15.2%) ... YTD 1,256,600 (-2.3%)

 

[Merc1]

MB just treading water overall for the year. I hope things turn around this summer.

M

 

[LaArtist]

Im still impressed at the strenght of all 3..
Im happy that MB didnt take a enormous hit..

Other than that..
Well done AUDI

 

[conan_55]

This also shows that audi's design is the most successful of the three by a wide margin.

 

[Merc1]

Its really nice and all, but lets not get carried away.

M

 

[GBOY]

It's probably just because Audi has more lower end vehicles.

 

[Merc1]

Honestly I would say it is a combination of things: design, a slew of new products, and the sheer ability of an underdog brand to expand. Mercedes and BMW are old hat to some and Audi is the fresh new comer.


M

 

[Monster]

Audi sure bucked the trend. They wouldn't dare over ship cars to the U.S. so somewhere in the world Audi is on fire.



M

Here in Australia, Audi sales improved by 33% in 2008 compare to 2007.

 

[klier]

This also shows that audi's design is the most successful of the three by a wide margin.

If that's your conclusion, then.....WOW

 

[Zafiro]

Audi are cheaper to buy and a equal car for less money than BMW and MB. Good arguments for buying a Audi over the others. Design alone isnt the main factor for the success.

 

[EnI]

The most important models A3, A4 & A6 are much more attractive than the MB & BMW rivals: they are larger & more spacious, available with low-end turbo engines, having slightly lower price, and a fresh image. Also the RWD in BMW / MB is still a bogey for some.

Audi cars are also more "family friendly" ... having larger customer base in eg. Europe.

Also BMW is still considered a bit niche brand - a synonym for sports, while MB is a posh luxury brand with lots of comfort. Audi advertises best of both worlds. And customers like that.

The cars are also styled in not offensive way at all, and of very good fit&finish.

Very desirable products by Audi.

BMW will always be too sporty & too driver's car for some, and MB too posh & too "grandpa-car" for others. Audi is more mainstream in this respect. Less specific, weaker character - but more all-round characteristics, and thus more attractive to wider base.

IMO Audi cars are much better in marketing respect (fitting better to customers' needs), while MB & BMW brands are stronger - and selling better despite offering more niche products. When Audi fills the gaps in their product lines, they'll come closer to BMW & MB - especially since MB & BMW Group offer small cars under separate brands (MINI / smart), while Audi will offer A1 under Audi brand. Quite an advantage in brand total sales numbers.

The only black spot for Audi is still the US market. An US factory will do the trick, and some US-specific product. A hybrid. A product so important for a brand like RX for Lexus.

 

[Poverty]

Audi are cheaper to buy and a equal car for less money than BMW and MB. Good arguments for buying a Audi over the others. Design alone isnt the main factor for the success.

audi are no longer cheaper than MB and BMW models like in the past the gap is neglible, and many audi models are more expensive than equivelant mb and bmw ones.

 

[Bartek S.]

BMW GROUP: MODERATE 4.3% DECREASE IN WORLDWIDE SALES FOR 200801/09/2009 Annual sales of MINI and Rolls-Royce reach all-time high
BMW Group world's leading supplier of premium vehicles
December again marked by consumer reticence

Munich. In view of the global financial and economic crisis the BMW Group was, as expected, unable to match the previous year's record earnings in its sales figures for 2008 as a whole. Nevertheless, the company reported only a moderate decrease of 4.3% from 2007's high level. Last year the BMW Group delivered a total of 1,435,876 (prev.yr: 1,500,678) BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand automobiles to customers worldwide. The company thus achieved the second-best sales result in its history, after 2007, and also remained the world's leading supplier of premium vehicles in 2008. The month of December was again marked by consumer reticence, with 112,423 (prev.yr.: 152,721 / -26.4%) vehicles sold.

Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: "2008 was a tough year for the automotive industry worldwide. Despite the global financial and economic crisis, the BMW Group was able to set new sales records at MINI and Rolls-Royce in 2008. Overall we performed comparatively well with a 4.3% decrease. One clear reason for this is our Efficient Dynamics technology for reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions which meanwhile comes as standard in all BMW and MINI models." Robertson also added: "We have already reached fuel efficiency levels that some of our competitors still want to achieve. Month to month, we were able to sell more vehicles with fuel saving technology than some car companies do in a year." In 2008, the BMW Group delivered in Europe alone around 830,000 vehicles with Efficient Dynamics to its customers. Between1995 and 2008, the company has achieved a 25% reduction of the CO2 value of its fleet in Europe to less than 160g per kilometre.

The BMW brand delivered 1,202,239 (prev.yr.: 1,276,793 / -5.8%) vehicles to customers worldwide in 2008, placing it clearly ahead of core competitors in the premium segment. In the month under review 97,256 units - or 26.2% fewer vehicles - were sold than in the same month last year.

Annual sales of MINI and Rolls-Royce reach all-time high
The MINI brand made further sales gains in 2008 to achieve a new all-time high. With a total of 232,425 deliveries it grew 4.3% over the previous year. In December the brand reported sales down 27.8% to 15,010 (prev.yr.: 20,800) vehicles. A temporary interruption in the MINI model programme also contributed to this relatively substantial decrease. The MINI Convertible ceased production back in August 2008 - with the new MINI Convertible not scheduled for market launch until late March 2009.

In 2008 sales of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars climbed 20.0% higher than the previous year to reach a total of 1,212 (prev.yr: 1,010) automobiles. With six consecutive years of sales growth, Rolls-Royce remains the clear market leader in the super luxury class segment. The brand delivered 157 motor cars to customers in the month under review (-16.9%).

BMW once again most successful European automotive brand in the U.S. in 2008
The United States remained the biggest single market for BMW Group automobiles in 2008. The BMW Group delivered a total of 303,190 (prev.yr.: 335,840 / -9.7%) vehicles here. Despite a decrease of 15.2% for the year ending in December, the BMW brand was once again the most successful European automotive brand in the USA in 2008 (249,113 vehicles sold). No other automotive brand from Europe sold more vehicles in the world's biggest auto market in 2008.
The MINI brand can also look back on a successful year in the United States. In fact, 2008 was the brand's best year since the premium small car was launched on the U.S. market in 2002 (54,077 vehicles sold/ +28.6%). For the very first time, the U.S. became the largest single market for MINI.
Germany was second among the BMW Group's major markets with a total of 284,353 new registrations (prev.yr. 284,690 / -0.1%). With sales almost reaching the previous year's level, the BMW Group performed considerably better than the overall market here, which shrank by 1.8%.

In spite of difficult conditions on the global markets, BMW Motorrad was nearly able to match last year's record sales. 101,685 (prev.yr.: 102,467) BMW motorcycles were delivered to customers in 2008 (-0.8%). Sales in December were even 9.3% higher than the previous year (6,821 units) at 7,457 units.



BMW Group sales in/up to December 2008 at a glance
In Dec. 2008 Comp. with previous year Up to and incl. Dec. 2008 Comp. with previous year
BMW Group Automobiles 112,423 -26.4% 1,435,876 -4.3%
BMW 97,256 -26.2% 1,202,239 -5.8%
MINI 15,010 -27.8% 232,425 +4.3%
Rolls-Royce 157 -16.9% 1,212 +20.0%
BMW Motorcycles 7,457 +9.3% 101,685 -0.8%

Source BMW.

 

[Bartek S.]

AUDI AG Records Sales of over One Million cars for the First Time

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]• Company achieves 13th record year in a row
• Worldwide unit sales increased by 4.1 percent
• 12 new models helped boost unit sales
• Audi Chairman Stadler: “We want to make Audi the most attractive premium brand worldwide”[/FONT]

AUDI AG has achieved its stated objective of selling one million cars in 2008 for the first time in its history. With about 1,003,400 cars sold worldwide, Audi increased its unit sales volume by 4.1 percent over the prior year (2007: 964,151). With the newly introduced Audi Q5 and the successful young A4 family, sales in December increased by 17.4 percent over the prior year’s December, to around 82,800 units (2007: 70,523).

“This 13th record year in a row is a success achieved by the entire Audi team. I would like to express the gratitude of the Board of Management for your wholehearted commitment,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “We’ll continue to draw on this strength in the difficult year of 2009. We have ambitious long-term goals: We want to make Audi the most attractive premium brand worldwide.”

In the past year, the Ingolstadt-based firm has launched 12 new or upgraded models. This gives Audi the advantage of having the youngest model range in the premium segment. The most important introductions were the Audi A4 sedan, which was rolled out in Europe in November 2007, the Audi A4 Avant which followed in April, product upgrades of the A3 and A6, and the brand-new Audi Q5.

“We will keep up our model initiative as planned: In 2009 we’ll continue to offer our customers a succession of new models,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales of AUDI AG.

Audi achieved growth especially in the European markets and in the Asia-Pacific region. In Western Europe, unit sales of around 53,900 in December surpassed the prior year’s December by 22.7 percent (2007: 43,969). In the entire year of 2008, Audi sold some 667,000 cars in this region, 2.5 percent more than in the prior year (2007: 650,407). These excellent sales volumes also resulted in record market shares in Western Europe and Germany.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Audi delivered new cars to around 14,000 customers in December, an increase of 15.6 percent in unit sales (2007: 12,097). During the entire year, 155,100 customers bought an Audi in this region – 15.6 percent more than in 2007.
In the USA, the third-largest export market for the premium brand from Ingolstadt, sales of 87,760 cars in 2008 amounted to a 6.1 percent drop from the prior year (2007: 93,506). In December Audi sold 7,712 units here, 9.3 percent fewer than in the prior year (2007: 8,504).

AUDI AG sold a total of 1,003,400 cars in 2008 and thus achieved its thirteenth consecutive record year. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). Aurangabad in India saw the start of local production of the Audi A6 at the end of 2007 and of the Audi A4 in early October 2008. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant’Agata Bolognese (Italy) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi currently employs around 57,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than €2 billion each year in order to sustain the company’s technological lead embodied in its "Vorsprung durch Technik" slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015 to 40. The Audi brand celebrates its 100th birthday in 2009. The company was founded by August Horch in Zwickau on July 16, 1909; he named it Audi after the Latin translation of his surname (“hark!”).

AUDI AG will present the complete results for the 2008 business year at its Annual Press Conference on March 10, 2009 in Ingolstadt.

 

[Mr Robert]

Also BMW is still considered a bit niche brand - a synonym for sports, while MB is a posh luxury brand with lots of comfort. Audi advertises best of both worlds. And customers like that.

Hell, even my mother think that is the case. She says both Mercedes and BMW screams "I'm rich" to much while you always get away with having an Audi, just like having a Volvo. She likes that. To bad their last Audi proved to be just as reliable as a Puch Dakota on diesel.