UK Leads the World as the New Top Audi Importer

The UK has overtaken America in terms of Audi sales making the UK the largest export market in the World for the rapidly expanding premium German car range. Demand for Audi cars has been on a steep ascent in Britain with sales set to double, rising dramatically from 40,000 units as recently as 2000 to approaching 80,000 forecast by the end of this year.

The secret of the `Vorsprung durch Tecknik’ brand’s success hinges not only around the milestone Audi TT, which has gifted the company with the youngest age profile of any premium car company in the UK, but also its image as the most progressive among the sought after German marques.

“Audi is the largest recipient of the marked migration onto premium cars and we are seeing enormous customer acceptance of our products because they are a subtle combination of understated looks with exceptionally high build standards,” claims Kevin Rose Audi UK Director.

British Audi buyers have propelled sales to increase by 8.2 per cent so far this year, well ahead of its premium segment rivals. With the new vehicle licence plates out today (September 1), Audi UK is assured of increased sales in the key plate change month of September, (number plates will plates change from `04′ to `54′).

Despite a virtually static UK market in the first six months of 2004, Audi UK sales increased to a record level of 41,805 vehicles for the same period. This strong demand makes the UK the largest Audi car market worldwide outside of Germany. This largely contributed to Audi’s worldwide sales of 389,970 cars (from January to June 2004) – the highest ever in the history of the company which delivered net profit figures of €336 million for the six months ending 30 June 2004 – a growth rate of more of 16.3 per cent on the same period for 2003.

Customer orders already suggest that the likely deliveries for the busy month of September 2004 will be 13,500 cars, fuelled by the cachet of the new number plates, which will be yet another single month World export record for Audi – a record the UK already holds.

Audi UK’s success is largely due to the clever expansion of its range from four to eight model lines, increasing market coverage by around 40 per cent. 2004 saw the introduction of the S4 Cabriolet in April and the all new A6 in June. This model takes on the new “face” of Audi with the highly distinctive bold single frame grille echoing the Auto Union race cars of the 1930s. This year Audi also expanded one of the segments where it is already hugely successful with its new A3 Sportback, a five-door car with the look of a coupe, which goes on sale in the UK next week (10 September).