MINI brand: Countryman drives sales to record level
Best first quarter ever for BMW and MINIThe BMW Group sold more vehicles in March than ever before in a month. The company sold a total of 165.842 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles in the past month, not only significantly exceeding the figure for March of last year (141,717 units / +17%) but also the previous sales high of 152,721 vehicles recorded in December 2007. The BMW and MINI brands also set new monthly records.
The company also achieved a new high for the first three months: Sales started the year stronger than ever – for the BMW Group, and the three brands. Retail volumes for the year to the end of March increased by more than 67,000 vehicles to 382,758 units (prev. yr. 315,630 units), which represents growth of 21.3% compared with the first quarter of 2010.
Broad regional growth across all continents and in virtually all countries contributed to this development. March sales rose in Europe (93,540 vehicles / +7.8%) and in Asia (35,048 vehicles / +52%), as well as in the Americas (32,020 vehicles / +18.6%).
Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: “2011 got off to an excellent start for the BMW Group with new sales records. This positive development is mainly thanks to our attractive model range and healthy auto markets in many parts of the world – in the established markets of Europe and the U.S., and in the emerging markets of South America and Asia. Sales volume of the year 2011 is expected to rise to well over 1.5 million units, a new all-time high, with the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands all achieving new sales volume records.”
MINI reported record figures. At 30,689 units (+28.5%), MINI sales easily exceeded the brand’s previous monthly best from 2008. A total of 60,860 vehicles were sold in the first quarter of 2011. This represents a sales increase of 22.9% compared with the first three months of last year.
The MINI Countryman, introduced last September, contributed to the brand’s positive performance so far this year. With 8,392 vehicles sold, the newest MINI version accounted for more than a quarter of MINI retail in March.
