BMW Sales Up 9% in April

[TurboDan]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0...auto-175902.htm

FRANKFURT - BMW group car sales rose 9.7 percent in April to 111,285 units, the world's largest luxury carmaker said on Monday, beating its own preliminary forecast given last week.

Sales of its core BMW brand rose 9.1 percent to 92,984 units last month, while Mini sales jumped an even higher 13.4 percent to 18,245 cars. BMW also delivered 56 Rolls-Royce Phantoms in April, down 16.4 percent from a year ago.

For the first four months, group car sales increased 8.6 percent to 403,521 units, led by dynamic growth in demand for hot new BMW models like the X3 mid-size offroader and the 1-Series hatchback.

Last week, Chief Executive Helmut Panke predicted a rise of 7 percent in April car sales.

Turbocharged by a raft of hot new models, BMW has raced from one record to another, leaving arch-rival Mercedes Car Group in its dust.

The recent launch of its revamped 3-Series saloon means the BMW brand may finally overtake Mercedes-Benz as the world's best-selling luxury marque this year.

Sales of its key mid-sized model rose 16.9 percent in April to 68,931 units.

"Even now -- in the initial phase of the market launch of the new BMW 3-Series saloon -- it is becoming clear that this car is being very well received by the market," BMW sales and marketing chief Michael Ganal said in a statement, vowing to consolidate further BMW's leading position in the market.

By comparison, sales at DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes Car Group rose 2 percent in April to 104,900 units, helped by the first year-on-year rise in deliveries of its flagship Mercedes-Benz brand this year.

The German-American carmaker said on Friday that sales of Mercedes-Benz cars increased 1 percent to 92,400 vehicles, while deliveries of Smart compacts gained 9.7 percent to 12,500 cars.

The division's sales fell a cumulative 2.7 percent in the first four months to 366,500 vehicles.  

[BMWDave]

Great news for BMW!  

[850CSi]

We will CONTINUE to dominate.

[BMWDave]

We will CONTINUE to dominate.

Damn straight!    

[SJ_GTI]

Only problem is that when you are on top, there is nowhere to go but down.

And everyone loves to target BMW as it is.

[850CSi]

Only problem is that when you are on top, there is nowhere to go but down.

And everyone loves to target BMW as it is.

True. But personally it really doesn't matter to me whether BMW is #1 or not. All I care is that they continue the tradition of providing the best-handling small sedans with smooth inline 6s.

[Colonel Cadillac]

Good point Faris. That is one of GM's current problems; they cannot see themselves as number 2 in the future, but are on the path to the second spot. I personally hope they stay number 1 and turnaround successfully because it will benefit the American economy.  

[850CSi]

Good point Faris. That is one of GM's current problems; they cannot see themselves as number 2 in the future, but are on the path to the second spot. I personally hope they stay number 1 and turnaround successfully because it will benefit the American economy.

I wonder sometimes how GM hasn't taken over the entire world. Sometimes I wish that they just gave Bob Lutz the power to do everything in the company. Too bad GM continues to be dragged down by other people in powerful positions who dont' have Lutz's creativity or charisma.

Caddy is making some REALLY nice cars, and the new Pontiacs and Chevys are certainly an inprovement, but they still just don't do it for me.

[Colonel Cadillac]

I think Mr. Waggonner (sp?) is doing an OK job, but the other executives are just not cutting it besides for Lutz.  

[SJ_GTI]

If you guys get into the "corporate" world after college you will understand why its so hard for one person to make a difference. There is a cultural problem at GM. To their employees its like working for the government. To them, GM will always be #1, so why bother working? Someone else will take care of it.

Those are common attitudes even when you aren't working for a company the size of GM.

Still, I do see progress at GM. The whole "junk" rating is especially funny to me since GM, as a company, seems like its going in the right direction now more then ever. But WS sees a couple bad quarter's ahead, and all of a sudden the company is going out of business.  

In any event, I am with you 850CSi. In fact I like it better with MB in front, because then BMW can focus on product rather than marketing.