Successful August for AUDI AG: Further Growth in Major Export Markets

Audi shipped around 66,400 vehicles worldwide during the month of August, 4.2 percent more than in the same month of the previous year (2006: 63,715). The premium brand from Ingolstadt has consequently sold around 656,600 vehicles since January (up 9.2 percent; 2006: 601,519). The brand consolidated this sales growth in its most important export markets. In China (including Hong Kong) Audi saw its sales total leap by 24 percent (9,116; 2006: 7,354). In the USA, the brand handed over 7,620 vehicles to customers, an increase of 7.1 percent (2006: 7,115). Sales in the UK market, where Audi has traditionally enjoyed a strong position, reached 3,215 units, representing a further increase of 17.8 percent (2006: 2,730) and thus spearheading progress in other European export markets, where Audi enjoyed overall growth of 3.7 percent in recording a total of 25,150 vehicles. Audi achieved growth of 33.5 percent in the rapidly expanding Russian market, with 1,455 vehicles sold there.

“Growth in European export markets – meaning both established Western European markets and new markets in Eastern Europe – is a major factor behind our success. We are steadily and consistently increasing our market share in these regions,” stressed Ralph Weyler, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Marketing and Sales. “The fact that we enjoy a strong position in the US and emerging Asian markets is equally confirmed by our high growth rates in both regions.”

Further high-growth regions for the company from Ingolstadt were Africa/Near and Middle East, with sales up by 23.2 percent (2,324 vehicles; 2006: 1,886) and Asia/Pacific, where overall growth amounted to 24.4 percent (around 11,500 units; 2006: 9,244). The growth rate was particularly high in the Middle East at 54.6 percent (433 units; 2006: 280) and – alongside China – Japan, where sales went up by 26.1 percent (989 units; 2006: 784).

In Germany, sales by the brand with the four rings experienced a setback of 7.7 percent compared with the strong prior-year month (18,063 vehicles; 2006: 19,572). For the period January to August, unit sales in Germany were consequently 0.7 percent down on last year (168,083; 2006: 169,208). Jörg Felske, Head of Sales Germany at AUDI AG, attributes this fall in sales in the home market to the end of production of the high-volume Audi A4 model. “Even though the Audi A4 remains a highly successful model in Germany and is faring outstandingly well in its competitive field, the scheduled end of production is having an impact on this high-selling model. All the same, we did succeed in improving our market position further: Audi achieved the highest share of the German market in its history as a premium manufacturer, with 7.9 percent in August and 8.0 percent in the first eight months of the year.”

With one eye on the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, Ralph Weyler remarked: “We will be unveiling the successor model of our Audi A4 to the public at Frankfurt – a highly attractive vehicle in our highest-volume model series. The A4 saloon will be introduced to market at the end of November. I expect it to provide a substantial boost to sales next year – and not just in Germany.” With regard to 2007 as a whole, Weyler commented: “We will close this year, too, with record unit sales worldwide.”