BMW aims for record 2013 sales despite 'headwinds'
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BMW Group predicts 2013 will be an even better sales year than 2012, during which it increased worldwide volume 11 percent to a record 1.85 million vehicles.
"We enter the new year with positive momentum and despite the prevailing headwinds in some markets, we aim to achieve another record year in sales in 2013," BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson said today in a release.
The company got a big boost in December as global sales for the final month of 2012 rose 15 percent to 181,571 vehicles.
Overall, BMW Group finished 2012 as the world's top-selling premium automaker easily topping its previous record of 1.67 million sales, set in 2011, as the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands all set new records for global sales.
Led by strong demand for the 1 series and 3 series model lines, BMW brand boosted 2012 sales 12 percent to 1.54 million, giving the automaker a comfortable victory over its German rivals for the title of best-selling premium brand.
Audi was second with global sales of 1.45 million vehicles, which is an all-time for the Volkswagen Group subsidiary. Daimler's Mercedes-Benz brand also set a new record for annual sales, finishing third in the premium-car race with a worldwide volume of 1.32 million vehicles.
Both Audi and Mercedes aim to claim the premium-sale lead by 2020. Last month Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche told a German newspaper he is "confident" Mercedes will be ahead of its rivals by 2020 "at the latest."
In July 2012, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said the same.
1 series surge
BMW increased global year-on-year sales of the 1 series 29 percent to 226,829 units while worldwide demand for the 3-series line rose 6 percent 406,752 vehicles.
Global sales for Mini rose 5 percent to 301,526 vehicles. Leading the way for the UK-based brand was the Countryman, for which sales grew 15 percent to 102,250. The United States was Mini's largest global market with record sales of 66,123 cars last year.
Rolls-Royce had the best result in its 108-year history with 3,575 sales. The superluxury brand finished 2012 strong with a 12 percent increase in December global sales to 534 cars.
You can reach Douglas A. Bolduc at dbolduc@crain.com.
