Audi and Yanase Set Up Joint Distribution Company

AUDI AG and the Japanese business group Yanase & Co. Ltd., well-known as a premium partner, have set up a joint distribution company. The joint venture will manage the exclusive Audi dealers that were previously part of the Yanase organisation. Audi is expecting to sell a total of more than 10,000 cars in Japan this year. This compares with 8,100 Audi cars sold in Japan last year.

Audi made extensive changes to its dealer network in Japan last year. In Japan there are now only exclusive dealerships which just sell Audi models and meet the brand’s high standards. The dealer network will comprise 80 outlets by the end of the year, 22 of which belong to the new joint venture. Audi will indirectly control 40% of its sales volume at dealer level in Japan through the joint venture. Audi models are imported by the fully owned subsidiary Audi Japan K.K.

Dr. Georg Flandorfer, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG: “If we are to double our sales in Japan to 20,000 cars by 2007 it is necessary to strengthen the exclusive Audi dealer network on a long-term basis through the joint venture with the famous trading company Yanase.