Record Sales at Audi
INGOLSTADT, Germany – Audi was able to announce another record-breaking month for vehicle sales in June 2005. Over 78,700 new cars (June 2004: 67,721) were handed over to customers worldwide. This is equivalent to an increase of 16.3 percent compared with the same month last year. The number of vehicles sold worldwide in the first six months rose by 8.2 percent compared with the same period one year previously, to just under 422,000 vehicles (January to June 2004: 389,913). The Audi A3 Sportback, launched last September, and the Audi A6 made a significant contribution to this total, with sales of 70,000 and 90,100 vehicles (up 16.8 percent compared with the prior-year period) respectively. By selling more than 400,000 vehicles in the first six months of the year for the first time in company history, Audi has set another new sales record. “In the first six months we have created the ideal conditions for another record year,” said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG. “We will substantiate this success by continuing it in the second half of the year. Now that the Audi A3 has been introduced with the single-frame grille, virtually all our young and sporty model range has the unmistakeable Audi face. This forms the basis for our future models, such as the Audi Q7, the completely new, sporty SUV which we will be launching in early 2006, and the Le Mans quattro, a thoroughbred sports car.” Winterkorn confirmed that his goal is for Audi to become the leading premium brand worldwide by the end of the decade. He wants to increase annual sales in the mid-term by more than one million Audi cars. “June sales in Germany and Western Europe were particularly satisfactory,” said Ralph Weyler, AUDI AG Board Member for Marketing and Sales. “With sales in Germany totalling 25,000 vehicles, we recorded an increase of 16.7 percent compared with the same month last year (21,412) and, in doing so, defied the market trend.” After an equally successful May (8 percent), Audi’s market share remained at a high level in June at 7.3 percent (previous year: 6.5 percent). Compared with the prior-year period, vehicle sales in Germany were up in the first six months by over 10 percent to 126,100 (114,169). With a market share of 7.5 percent in the first six months, Audi has maintained its record level in Germany. Audi achieved sales records in the first six months in 12 of 20 markets in Western Europe. Great Britain, the biggest European export market, with sales of around 45,100 vehicles (41,805, up 7.9 percent), Spain with 28,700 vehicles (23,742, up 20.8 percent) and France with around 22,600 vehicles (18,451, up 22.3 percent) deserve a special mention. Sales in Western Europe (excluding Germany) were up by 13.8 percent to 194,500 (170,991) vehicles. New sales records were set in 28 markets worldwide in the first half of 2005. |