Global sales March 2009: Audi, BMW, MB

[Bartek S.]

Audi Worldwide Sales

INGOLSTDT, GERMANY – April 6, 2009: AUDI AG continued to expand its market shares in March. In both the United States and Western Europe, Audi fared better than the overall market. The Ingolstadt car maker achieved its best monthly result of all time in China. Worldwide Audi sold 90,400 cars in March – 10.7 percent fewer than in the same month of record year 2008 (2008: 101,251)

"Thanks in part to the successfully launched Audi Q5, our order intake is now significantly increasing," says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG. "The trend is positive: Our monthly results have been continually improving since January, a difficult month for everybody."
The Ingolstadt car maker put its second SUV, positioned below the Audi Q7, on the U.S. market at the end of February. As in Europe, here too sales exceeded expectations in the first month of sales. Altogether, Audi fared better in the United States than its key competitors and significantly better than the overall market, with a decline of 19.4 percent to 6,433 cars (2008: 7,986). Audi increased its share in the premium market by 1.3 percentage points to 7.8 percent. In North and South America combined, Audi sold nearly 8,500 cars in March on the American continent – 14.5 percent fewer than in the preceding year (2008: 9.946).

In Canada sales of the Ingolstadt premium brand went up considerably in March: 979 customers bought an Audi, a year-on-year rise of 25.4 percent on March 2008 (2008: 781).

In Western Europe, Audi sold 61,200 cars in March – a decline of 12.9 percent (2008: 70,269). The Ingolstadt car maker thus fared comparably well in a difficult overall market: Audi’s market share is currently expected to reach 4.3 percent (2008: 4.1 percent). Thanks above all to the new Audi Q5, the brand was able to increase sales in six European markets relative to the preceding year. In Austria, for example, Audi sold 1,830 cars, or 12.8 percent more vehicles than in March 2008 (2008: 1,622); in Switzerland sales of 1,318 units marked an increase of 3.7 percent over the preceding year (2008: 1,271). In the Netherlands 6.6 percent more buyers chose an Audi than in 2008 (1468 cars; 2008: 1,377).

In the region Asia-Pacific, Audi increased its sales by about 5 percent compared with the preceding year (2008: 14,909), with a total of around 15,600 cars sold – thanks especially to the success in China, its second-largest foreign market in March. Here, the brand with the four rings recorded its strongest month of all time: 11,848 cars sold in China (including Hong Kong) represented a further increase of 6.6 percent compared with the impressive figure of March last year (2008: 11,117). This success is primarily attributable to the newly launched long-wheelbase version of the Audi A4. Other markets in the region in which Audi recorded sales growth last month were Australia, India and Singapore.

 

[EnI]

Audi: 90,400 (-10.7%) ... YTD 210,000 (-16.0%)

BMW: 104,417 (-17.0%) ... YTD 233,498 (-20.5%)
MINI: 21,888 (-18.5%) ... YTD 43,592 (-25.1%)
Rolls-Royce: 70 (-17.6%) ... 174 (-4.9%)
BMW Group Automobile: 126,375 (-17.2%) ... YTD 277,264 (-21.2%)

MB: 98,500 (-17.5%) ... YTD 216,000 (-25.4%)
smart: 11,900 (-1.8%) ... YTD 28,800 (-0.5%)
Mercedes-Benz Cars: 110,400 (-16.0%) ... YTD 244,800 (-23.2%)

 

[Centurion]

The economic slowdown is deepening, but the unicorn that fly through my bedroom window every night has told me that we'll hit rock bottom in 2009.

 

[coolraoul]

The economic slowdown is deepening, but the unicorn that fly through my bedroom window every night has told me that we'll hit rock bottom in 2009.

Couldn't you ask your Unicorn friend to be a lil' more specific?
(BTW you have very interesting "friends", any chance you introduce me?)

 

[Centurion]

Couldn't you ask your Unicorn friend to be a lil' more specific?
(BTW you have very interesting "friends", any chance you introduce me?)

The pearl white Unicorn for a best friend is short on words but did give me a little peek at his crystal ball.

At the beginning of last year the future was uncertain. Stock markets crashed and house prices took a dip, but knew the magnitude of the problem. Words used for the vast majority were credit crunch which morphed into an economic slow down and BOOM in November last year world leaders began using the "R" word -- Recession.

Unlike last year it's now been recognised that there is a problem and governments have began dealing with it. Most of the dirty laundry such as banks in debt and financial institutions with toxic assets have been dealt with. The world economy thrives on money exchanging hands and that is often done so using credit. So the governments of the worlds and universes have to push banks to lend. And when the banks resume lending, people will buy more houses kick starting the property market, business will start up and create jobs. When people are employed they spend money and so is the circle of the world economy.

Right now in 2009 the problem isn't the recession but the access to credit. Now someone give me an AM Black.

 

[Merc1]

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Apr 07, 2009

* Mercedes-Benz delivers 98,500 units to customers

* Record-setting sales in March for Mercedes-Benz in China

* Incoming orders for E-Class sedan in Germany more than doubled in the first quarter

* Mercedes-Benz presenting ML 450 HYBRID and S 400 HYBRID in April

In March, Mercedes-Benz Cars delivered 110,400 (March 2008: 131,500) Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles to customers worldwide (minus 16 percent). Mercedes-Benz sold 98,500 (March 2008: 119,400) passenger cars in March (minus 18 percent). Despite the continuing difficult situation on the automotive markets, and the E-Class model changeover, sales of Mercedes-Benz Cars in March were up from the previous month’s total. The division also posted an increase in incoming orders compared to the numbers for January and February of this year.


Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars: “Orders for the E-class sedan in Germanyin the first quarter of this year were more than double the number posted in the same period in 2008. We had already received about 50,000 orders for the new E-Class sedan by its market launch at the end of March.”

In the first quarter of the year, customers bought 28,800 (same period 2008: 28,900) models of the smart fortwo, a result that matches last year’s record level of sales of the two-seater. In the United States the smart fortwo continues to be very popular, and 4,900 (same period 2008: 3,500) units of the car were sold in the first quarter, an increase of 42 percent. Following its successful start in the United States, the smart fortwo will be introduced this month in China.

In Germany in recent weeks Mercedes-Benz Cars records positive momentum, particularly in the compact car segment and regarding one year old pre-owned vehicles. There was a substantial increase in orders for the A-Class and B-Class, for example. In March about 3,400 (March 2008: 2,700) smart fortwo cars were delivered in Germany, an increase of 25 percent.

Mercedes-Benz posted record-setting sales in China in March, with deliveries up 42 percent to 5,400 units (March 2008: 3,800). In the U.S., Mercedes-Benz succeeded in increasing its market shares in March, selling 15,600 (March 2008: 20,800) passenger cars (minus 25 percent) despite the sharply declining market (minus 37 percent). In the SUV segment in the U.S., Mercedes-Benz performed much better than its premium-segment competitors. And Mercedes-Benz also gained market shares this month in Canada, where it is the strongest-selling premium brand, posting record growth of 26 percent and 2,200 units sold (March 2008: 1,700).

In March 6,800 (March 2008: 6,700) customers opted to buy a C-Class estate, an increase of two percent. Sales of the CLC sports coupé also developed positively in March, climbing by 43 percent to 2,100 (March 2008: 1,500 units) units sold. One year after its model update, the SL-Class premium roadster also continues to be a customers’ favorite. Sales of the model were at the level reached in the same period last year , with 2.000 units sold in the first quarter 2009. The S-Class maintained its position as the market leader in its segment, despite the impending model changeover.

This month Mercedes-Benz is presenting the first two hybrid models from Mercedes-Benz: The ML 450 HYBRID, which was specially conceived for the U.S.market, is making its debut at the New York International Auto Show. It delivers fuel savings of up to 60 percent compared to a V8 gasoline engine with nearly the same power output, making it the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its segment. At the Shanghai Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz is presenting the new S-Class generation and the S 400 HYBRID, which is not only the first series-production Mercedes-Benz passenger car with a hybrid drive but also the CO2 champion in the luxury class.




Mercedes-Benz-Blog -- Unmistakable. Unique. Classy. Mercedes-Benz.: Mercedes-Benz Cars Sells 110,400 Vehicles in March


M

 

[chonkoa]

The economic slowdown is deepening, but the unicorn that fly through my bedroom window every night has told me that we'll hit rock bottom in 2009.

I think we just saw the bottom: December -January was the rock bottom IMO.
Looking at most of the indicators, I believe we started a turnaround last month.

 

[Bartek S.]

BMW Group with 126,375 deliveries (worldwide) in March04/07/2009 Sales decrease of 17.2% smaller than in previous months
New MINI Convertible off to an excellent start

Munich. In March the BMW Group’s sales performance was again impacted by the global economic and financial crisis. In the month under review the BMW Group delivered 126,375 (prev.yr.: 152,586 / -17.2%) vehicles worldwide. Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: “The 17.2% decrease in March was smaller than in previous months. We have seen some encouraging signs in key markets like the United States and Germany. However, it is still too early to talk about a global turnaround.”

The BMW brand sold 104,417 vehicles in March, and was thus 17.0% below the level of 125,745 vehicles sold in the same month last year. MINI sales were also 18.5% lower at 21,888 units (prev.yr.: 26,841). The Rolls-Royce brand sold 70 cars over the past month (prev.yr.: 85 / -17.6%).

In the first quarter, global sales of the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands decreased by 21.2% to 277,264 (prev.yr.: 351,787) vehicles. Deliveries of the BMW brand were down 20.5% at 233,498 (prev.yr.: 293,550) vehicles. MINI sales were 24.9% lower at 43,592 units (prev.yr.: 58,054). Over the first three months of the year Rolls-Royce Motor Cars handed over 174 automobiles to customers (prev.yr.: 183 / -4.9%).

In the BMW Group’s largest retail market, the United States, BMW and MINI sales declined 24.2% and 15.9% respectively in March, and thus performed considerably better than the overall market, which shrank by around 37%. With 17,520 (prev.yr.: 23,115) sales in March and 42,731 (prev.yr.: 58,365) sales for the year to the end of March, BMW for the first time moved ahead of its competitors to take the top position in the premium segment. The fifth generation of the BMW 7 Series has now been available in the U.S. since March. It will continue to boost sales throughout the rest of the year in what has traditionally been this series’ most important market.

The BMW Group’s sales have performed better in Germany than in other high-volume markets. 55,836 vehicles were delivered to customers (prev.yr.: 64,283 / -13.1%) in the first quarter. March’s 1.1% decrease painted a more positive picture. MINI in particular managed to make strong sales gains of 26.2% in Germany in the month under review – partly thanks to the new MINI Convertible which rejoined the model range as its third version in March. Orders for the new open-topped MINI version are exceeding expectations. Attractive new entry-level engine options for the MINI One with 55 kW/75HP (128g CO2/km) and the Clubman One with 75 kW/95HP (130g CO2/km) have also boosted sales. The BMW brand made gains in Germany in March with both its largest and smallest series. The BMW 1 Series increased sales by 8.7% to 7,029 (prev.yr.: 6,467) vehicles, while deliveries of the new BMW 7 Series climbed 109.2% to reach 617 (prev.yr.: 295) vehicles in the month under review. Ian Robertson: “Our model-wide fuel savings program Efficient Dynamics is a definite success story and continues to convince more and more customers – whether it be in a BMW 1 Series or in a 7 Series.”

The BMW Group remained on its growth path in China, India and Brazil in the first quarter. In China the company delivered 13.8% more vehicles (16,580 / prev.yr.: 14,574) in the first three months of the year. India made gains of 15.1% to reach a total of 992 deliveries (prev.yr.: 862); in Brazil the number of vehicles delivered to customers in the first quarter rose 12.7% to 717 units (prev.yr.: 636). Among the so-called BRIC countries only Russia experienced a slight decline in sales volume of -0.6% from January to March. The BMW Group delivered a total of 4,184 automobiles in Russia in the period under review (prev.yr: 4,211).

BMW Motorrad was unable to match the level of last year’s first quarter. Sales were 18.1% lower at 17,232 units (prev.yr.: 21,046). 9,100 motorcycles were delivered to customers in March – 18.0% fewer than in the same month last year (11,093).


BMW Group sales in/up to March 2009 at a glance
In March 2009 Comp. with previous year Up to and incl. March 2009 Comp. with previous year
BMW Group Automobiles 126.375 -17.2% 277,264 -21.2%
BMW 104,417 -17.0% 233,498 -20.5%
MINI 21,888 -18.5% 43,592 -25.1%
Rolls-Royce 70 -17.6% 174 -4.9%
BMW Motorcycles 9,100 -18.0% 17,232 -18.1%