Audi Could Overtake BMW As Number One Premium Automaker Within Next 18 Months

Audi is on a roll. It has passed Mercedes-Benz to become No. 2 in global premium car sales and predicts its operating profit will exceed its revenues this year. If the new A1 entry-premium car is as successful as early orders indicate, BMW may be bumped from its place as the world's top-selling premium brand -- a goal that Audi plans to reach by 2015.

CEO Rupert Stadler says Audi will someday be the world's No. 1 premium brand, but refuses to get caught up in the excitement of it happening ahead of schedule. He says Audi is reaching new heights because of its growing portfolio of successful products, its leadership in the world's largest market and its strengthening position in the U.S. market.