BMW follows Jaguar Land Rover by announcing record sales for 2013

BMW has followed Jaguar Land Rover in announcing record sales for 2013. The German group said it had sold 1,963,798 BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles during the year, an increase of 6.4% on the previous year.

JLR had stolen a march on its fierce competitor buy announcing its own results 24 hours earlier. The British company sold 425,000 vehicles last year, an increase of 19% and setting 38 new market records along the way.

Despite being owned by the Germans, BMW’s influence on the economy of the West Midlands is significant. It supports thousands of jobs through the automotive supply chain and operates a major engine plant in Hams Hall supplying power units for the Mini and some BMW 3 Series cars.

All three brands – BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce – reported record deliveries for 2013 and the company strengthened its position as the world’s leading manufacturer of premium vehicles. It finished the year strongly, with a total of 186,786 vehicles sold in December, an increase of 2.9% over the same month last year (181,571 units).

Ian Robertson, BMW board member responsible for sales and marketing, said: “The BMW Group posted record sales once again in 2013 and is clearly the number one in the premium segment. Our success can be attributed to our attractive and innovative models, the strength of our premium brands and our strategy of balanced sales across all continents. Despite the prevailing headwinds in many markets, we aim to increase sales and make 2014 another record year.”

BMW sales rose 7.5% in 2013 to reach 1,655,138 vehicles, an all-time high for the brand (2012: 1,540,085). BMW also achieved its best-ever sales for the month of December, with a total of 155,835 vehicles delivered – an increase of 2.3% over the previous year (152,286).

One of the main success factors in 2013 was the BMW 3 Series, with a 23% increase in sales to 500,314 units (2012: 406,752). The BMW 3 Series saloon remains segment leader with 348,540 vehicles delivered (2012: 294,039 / +18.5%). However, its ascendency could be challenged when Jaguar launches its 3 Series rival next year.

The BMW X1 also made strong gains in 2013, with a total of 161,353 vehicles sold
(2012:  147,776 / +9.2%). Demand for the BMW X3 remained high, with sales climbing 5% to 157,298 units (2012: 149,853). The BMW 5 Series also strengthened its position as segment leader, with a total of 366,992 sold in 2013 (2012: 359,016 / +2.2%). Significant gains were also recorded by the BMW 6 Series, with 27,687 vehicles delivered to customers (2012: 23,193 / +19.4%).

Peter Schwarzenbauer, board member for Mini, Motorrad, Rolls-Royce and Aftersales, said: “Global demand for our Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad models remains strong. We were able to deliver another record year in sales in 2013, thanks to exciting technology and our globally balanced distribution strategy.”

Mini sales climbed to a record 305,030 vehicles in 2013 (2012: 301,526 / +1.2%); December sales were up 5.9% year-on-year, with a total of 30,455 sold (2012: 28,751). The United States remains the largest market for Mini, with a record 66,502 cars sold last year, followed by the UK with 53,507 vehicles.

Rolls-Royce delivered 3,630 cars to customers in 2013 (2012: 3,575 / +1.5%), its fourth consecutive record year and the highest in the brand’s 110-year history. Demand for all Phantom and Ghost variants was strong and bespoke sales reached record levels in 2013. The company’s new model, Wraith, was unveiled in March at the Geneva Motor Show and already has a strong order book. The first customer cars were delivered during the fourth quarter.

Economic conditions in many European markets remained tough and group sales reflected this, down 0.7% for the year at 858,990 vehicles (2012: 864,812). Nevertheless the region remained the one with the highest volumes.

The strength of the UK new car market was reflected by the group achieving its best-ever sales here with a total of 188,837 vehicles sold (2012: 174,215/ +8.4%). BMW Group sales in Russia also climbed, up 11.8% to a record 44,871 vehicles (2012: 40,144).

In Asia, group sales rose by 17.3% to 576,616 vehicles (2012: 491,512). Mainland China accounted for 390,713 of BMW and Mini vehicles, an increase of 19.7% over the previous year (326,444). The BMW Group posted double- digit growth in many other Asian markets, including South Korea (+18.1% / 39,558), Japan (+13.4% / 64,216) and the Middle East (+15.4% / 24,596).

In the Americas, the BMW Group recorded strong gains in 2013, with 462,891 vehicles delivered. This represents an increase of 9.1% over the previous year (424,379). In the US, group sales climbed by 8.1% to 375,782 units (2012: 347,583). The group also reported particularly robust growth in Brazil in 2013 (+ 69.5% / 17,011 units).