BMW Group reports slight increase in September sales

- Robertson: further gains expected over coming months
- MINI brand grows by 9.5% in September

The BMW Group reported an increase in global sales in September. The company sold a total of 122,354 (prev. yr. 121,492) BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand automobiles in the month under review – an increase of 0.7%.  As a result the company was able to continue expanding its market position in the premium segment and capture additional market share.

Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: “For the first time this year we were able to increase our sales volume slightly in September. Provided there are no economic setbacks, we should continue to make gains throughout the remaining months of the year: Not least thanks to the new BMW models X1 and 5 Series Gran Turismo, which will join our model range in late October and are already being extremely well received.” 

Robertson added: “There is a good chance that we will end this year with a moderate decrease in sales of only 10 to 15 percent from 2008 levels, despite difficult economic conditions overall.”

The BMW brand recorded 97,545 deliveries in September – almost matching sales for the same month last year (98,744 / -1.2%). The BMW 1 Series (22,145 units / +3.0%) made gains in the month under review, and deliveries of the BMW 3 Series sedan (20,184 / +4.2%) and the BMW 3 Series Touring (8,100 / +9.3%) also increased substantially. The BMW 7 Series (4,336 / +51.1%) and the BMW Z4 Roadster (3,019 / +124.8%) reported particularly strong growth.

Both models established a clear lead in their vehicle class in the key German domestic market within just a few months of their launch. The BMW 5 Series also performed well in September: Global deliveries were on previous year’s level at 14,773 units (prev. yr. 14,749 / +0.2%). Between January and the end of September a total of 777,455 BMW automobiles were sold (prev. yr. 928,230 /-16.2%).

Global deliveries of the MINI brand climbed 9.5% to 24,759 units (prev. yr. 22,619) in the month under review. In particular, the new MINI Convertible (3,870 units / +232.2%) launched in late March and the MINI One, available in Hatch and Clubman versions (5,534 units / +60.4%), boosted sales of the premium compact car brand in September. A total of 161,638 MINI cars were delivered to customers in the year to the end of September (prev. yr. 184,915 / -12.6%).

The BMW Group’s positive sales result for September was bolstered by gains in many markets. For instance, sales increased in Europe’s major volume markets, such as the UK, (24,590 / +1.1%), France (6,817 / +3.0%), Italy (7,678 / +2.1%) and Spain (3,996 / +7.6%). In September the emerging markets of Brazil (685 / + 132.2%), India (433 / +47.3%) and China (8,131 / +35.4%) once again enjoyed the strongest growth rates.

China is now the BMW Group’s fourth largest single market after Germany, the US and the UK. Growth rates in South Korea (1,050 / +36.5%), Australia (1,989 / +34.3%) and Canada (2,742 / +36.5%) were also well over 30 percent. In the US, both the BMW (+2.1%) and MINI (+9.7%) brands were able to make substantial gains against the prevailing market trend. The BMW Group delivered a total of 19,175 (prev. yr. 18,506 / +3.6%) vehicles to customers here last month.

The Rolls-Royce brand sold 50 automobiles (prev. yr. 129 / -61.2%) in the month under review; 461 (prev.yr. 827 / -44.3%) vehicles were delivered to customers around the world for the year to the end of September. Ian Robertson: “Final preparations for the launch of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost are well underway. The 2010 order intake is very encouraging.”

In September BMW Motorrad sold 7,715 (prev. yr. 7,802 / -1.1%) motorcycles worldwide. For the year to the end of September, 69,715 (prev. yr. 80,750 / -13.7%) motorcycles were delivered to customers.

 
- Markus Sagemann, Marc Hassinger-