For first time, over 500,000 vehicles sold in first half year
Jul 5, 2007
For the first time in its company history, Audi has achieved the figure of half a million vehicles sold in the first half year, from January to June. Over 509,000 vehicles were delivered to customers worldwide – up 9.8 percent year on year (2006: 463,508).
For the first time in its company history, Audi has achieved the figure of half a million vehicles sold in the first half year, from January to June. Over 509,000 vehicles were delivered to customers worldwide – up 9.8 percent year on year (2006: 463,508).
In total, Audi achieved record sales in 41 markets worldwide in the first half of 2007. Up to June, Audi had handed over some 372,300 vehicles to customers in Europe, 7.4 percent more than in the first half of last year (346,712). In June the figure was approximately 64,800 vehicles, up 9.4 percent (2006: 59,223). In Europe, Audi achieved record sales in 22 individual markets. Especially noteworthy are Great Britain with 55,557 vehicles in the first half of the year (up 19.3 percent; 2006: 46,560) and 8,370 vehicles in June (up 17.8 percent; 2006: 7,104), Italy with 32,160 vehicles in the first half year (up 6.4 percent; 2006: 30,218) and 5,322 vehicles in June (up 2.1 percent; 2006: 5,211), Spain with 31,732 vehicles in the first half year (up 5.1 percent; 2006: 30,188) and 5,271 vehicles in June (up 6.1 percent; 2006: 4,969), France with 27,162 vehicles in the first half year (up 8.8 percent; 2006: 24,961) and 4,882 in June (up 10.9 percent; 2006: 4,402) and Sweden with 9,071 vehicles in the first half year (up 25.0 percent; 2006: 7,258) and 1,368 vehicles in June (up 1.9 percent; 2006: 1,342). Audi recorded its strongest growth in the first six months in Russia where sales rose by 76.3 percent to 7,272 vehicles (2006: 4,142), with June figures up 72.1 percent to 1,506 vehicles (2006: 875).
In North and South America, Audi sales totalled around 56,600 vehicles in the first half of the year, an increase of 13.3 percent year on year (2006: 49,950). In June, sales were up 1.9 percent at about 9,800 vehicles (2006: 9,605). In the USA, the third largest non-domestic market, sales totalled 45,711 vehicles from January to June, an increase of 13.0 percent (2006: 40,455). 7,789 vehicles were sold in June (down 3.1 percent; 2006: 8,039).
In the Asia-Pacific region, Audi recorded sales of around 65,800 vehicles in the first six months of the year, a rise of 21.6 percent (2006: 54,110). In China (including Hong Kong), Audi’s second largest non-domestic market, the company sold 49,267 vehicles in the first half of the year, an increase of 26.9 percent (2006: 38,838). In June, the figure was approximately 8,589 vehicles, up 37.0 percent (2006: 6,270). Following a slight fall in the first half of the year to 7,527 vehicles (down 0.8 percent; 2006: 7,586), Japan enjoyed an increase of 12.0 percent in June (1,802 vehicles; 2006: 1,609). Audi also enjoyed strong growth in Australia and India. In the first half of the year, sales in Australia grew by 42.8 percent (3,819 vehicles; 2006: 2,674), with June sales up by 52.0 percent (672 vehicles; 2006: 442). In India, where Audi set up a new National Sales Company in March this year, sales increased by 48.2 percent (206 vehicles; 2006: 139) over the first six months, and by 15.4 percent in June (30 vehicles; 2006: 26).
Audi’s successful growth markets also included the Middle East. With 3,223 vehicles sold, growth here amounted to 31.4 percent (2006: 2,452) for the first half of the year. 478 vehicles sold in June represents an increase of 11.9 percent (2006: 427). In the markets of Africa and the Near/Middle East, Audi recorded a sales increase of 12.5 percent in the first half of the year (around 14,300 vehicles; 2006: 12,736) and 9.2 percent in June (around 2,300; 2006: 2,118).
“Audi has made a successful start in markets such as India and is already exceptionally well positioned in growth regions such as the Middle East. We do meet the specific customer requirements here and we have the right products for the markets concerned – that’s a decisive signal for the future,” stresses Ralph Weyler. “The results in our traditional markets also represent a tremendous achievement. We have seen growth across Europe, even in the largely saturated markets of Western Europe, and have achieved our goal of winning market shares here.”
And in the home market of Germany, Weyler’s stated goal, namely for Audi to increase its market share, was impressively achieved. With a market share of 7.9 percent, AUDI AG achieved the best figure for Germany in the company’s history as a premium manufacturer. In the record year 2006, the figure was 7.5 percent. The company’s market share in June this year even climbed to 8.2 percent (2006: 7.2 percent). 24,268 vehicles were sold in June, a 10.6 percent increase year on year. Over the whole of the first half year, the first few months of which were noticeably affected by the increase in VAT in Germany, Audi delivered 127,112 vehicles to customers, largely maintaining the high sales level of the previous year despite an otherwise declining overall market (down 0.3 percent; 2006: 127,498).
Audi Press
