Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) widened its lead in luxury-car sales last month as demand for the 1- Series and X1 compact models helped it outpace gains by German rivals Audi AG (NSU) and Daimler AG (DAI)’s Mercedes-Benz.
BMW-brand deliveries increased 15 percent to 132,823 cars and sport-utility vehicles in October, the Munich-based manufacturer said today in a statement. That compares with growth of 14 percent to 123,600 deliveries at Audi and 6 percent to 109,632 vehicles at Mercedes.
Even with the debt crisis depressing demand in Europe, Germany’s luxury-car makers have maintained growth by tapping higher demand in the U.S. and China. BMW, Volkswagen AG (VOW)’s Audi and Mercedes are all targeting record sales this year, while mass-market competitors in Europe are bracing for the lowest demand in the region in 17 years.
“The advantages of their international presence is clear to see,” said Marc-Rene Tonn, a Hamburg-based analyst with Warburg Research. “There’s really no crisis in the high-end segment.”
October gains for the German luxury brands helped push up sales so far this year. Ten-month deliveries at the BMW brand increased 9.3 percent to 1.24 million cars and SUVs. Ingolstadt- based Audi reported a 13 percent jump in deliveries through October to 1.22 million, while Mercedes posted a 5.1 percent advance to 1.07 million.
Read Article