BMW of Bakersfield

Munich. The BMW Group started the new year well, with strong sales growth of 28%. A total of 105,177 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand automobiles were delivered to customers worldwide in January (prev. yr. 82,150).

Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: "We made a successful start to the new year. We were able to make substantial gains in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa - as we reap the benefits of our young and attractive model range. The BMW Group has once again set itself ambitious goals for 2011 - record sales of more than 1.5 million vehicles and new highs for all three brands. We want to reinforce our global position as the leading supplier of premium automobiles." Robertson added: "We expect growth rates to remain strong over the next few months, although the pace will slow a little in the second half of the year, due to baseline effects."

Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 30% in January to reach 90,841 automobiles (prev. yr. 69,861). Deliveries of the BMW X1 rose to 7,067 (prev. yr. 4,092 / +72.7%) units, while the BMW 3 Series reported 23,489 sales (prev. yr. 22,501 / +4.4%). With an increase of 118.4% to 24,109 units, sales of the BMW 5 Series doubled from the same month last year (prev. yr. 11,037). BMW 5 Series GT volumes climbed 131.3%, with 2,160 vehicles delivered to customers (prev. yr. 934). The new BMW X3 met with exceptionally strong demand and was purchased by 5,982 (prev. yr. 3,072 / +94.7%) customers in January.

The MINI brand also continued on its growth track in January and, at 14,126 units, sold 15.8% more vehicles year-on-year (12,202). The main growth driver was the new MINI Countryman, with 3,505 deliveries.

Rolls-Royce remained the clear market leader in the ultra-luxury segment last month. A total of 210 (prev. yr. 87) Phantom and Ghost models were sold worldwide in January - an increase of 141.4%.

The signs indicated growth for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce in virtually all European markets, the Americas, Africa and Asia, in the month under review.

In Europe, the company sold 19.3% more vehicles in total than in January 2010 (49,029 / prev. yr. 41,096). New vehicle registrations for BMW Group vehicles in Germany rose 30.9% to 18,223 units (prev. yr. 13,924). The BMW brand increased sales here by 31.5% (16,054 / prev. yr. 12,210) and, with a market share of 7.6%, led the premium segment. In the U.K, BMW Group deliveries were 44.9% (9,394 / prev. yr. 6,482) higher in the month under review; in France, the increase was 38.6% (3,022 / prev. yr. 2,180).

The BMW Group also reported healthy growth in the U.S. Sales here climbed to 18,656 units - an increase of 21.1%. Once again, China also showed dynamic growth. In January, 20,308 Chinese customers purchased a new BMW or MINI (prev. yr. 11,919 / +70.4%).

Growth also received a strong boost from key emerging markets, among others, with consistent double-digit sales growth: Russia (+30.7% to 1,476 units), South Korea (+52.9% to 1,850), Brazil (+111.1% to 859) and India (+46.6% to 500).

With a substantial increase in year-on-year sales of 23.6%, BMW Motorrad also made a successful start to the new year. A total of 4,714 (prev. yr. 3,814) BMW motorcycles were delivered to customers worldwide in January 2011, continuing the steady sales growth of the previous year. BMW Motorrad recorded sales growth of 12.3 % for the full year 2010, against the overall market trend, and expanded its market share in all relevant motorcycle markets. This year, further impetus for growth will come from the revised Boxer roadster model, the R 1200 R / R 1200 R Classic; BMW Motorrad's new entry-level model, the BMW G 650 GS; and, above all, from its new top models with 6-cylinder engine, the K 1600 GT and the K 1600 GTL.

BMW Group sales in January 2011 at a glance

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

The BMW Group's global sales volume for the 2010 financial year amounted to approximately 1.46 million automobiles and over 98,000 motorcyles. For the 2009 financial year, the BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles. Revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last six years.