Audi sets new sales record in July

· About 106,000 cars delivered worldwide, up 16 percent

· Sales continue to climb in the biggest export markets of China, United States and the United Kingdom

· Sales Chief Schwarzenbauer: “Sharpest growth in luxury class models”

Ingolstadt – AUDI AG registered its strongest July-figures ever, delivering around 106,000 cars to customers last month, 16 percent more than in July 2010. Compared to the previous months, the brand achieved accelerated growth in its biggest export markets – China, the United States and the United Kingdom – while sales in Germany also grew at a double-digit rate.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi Board Member for Marketing and Sales: “We’ve seen the sharpest growth in our luxury class models: The new A6 sedan has gotten an outstanding reception in Europe and has also been available in the United States since July.” The A7 is currently achieving its greatest success by far in the United States, besides Germany. “The incoming orders for the A7 are well above our expectations, particularly in the United States.”

In China the A7 will be introduced at the end of this year; the longer version of the A6 sedan will follow in 2012. Growth in China accelerate again last month: in July the brand with the four rings sold 27,767 cars, 35.2 percent more than during the same month last year. Cumulatively, sales in China are at 168,466, and thus higher than in the German home market.

Sales within Germany in the past month have grown by 13.8 percent to 21,423; over the first seven months Audi sold 146,514 cars, an increase of 15.4 percent. In Western Europe the sales figures in July were 7.1 percent higher than the same month last year; over the first seven months sales figures rose 12.1 percent. Driving this growth, apart from the A6 sedan, were the Audi Q5 and Q7 SUVs.

In the United States the delivery figures of Audi of America grew by 17 percent: 9,146 customers chose one of the brand’s models. Cumulatively, sales in the US are at 65,055. For the year to date, this amounted to 15.6 percent more than in the same period of 2010.