BMW Group Sales Show Slight Increase in First Quarter

Over 200,000 MINIs Delivered Since Market Launch

MUNICH, Germany, April 9 -- The BMW Group's sales showed a slight increase in the first quarter 2003 compared with the same period last year, at plus 0.5%. Overall, 261,570 BMW and MINI brand vehicles were delivered to customers (previous year: 260,270). In March, sales fell slightly by 1.0 % to 106,950 units (previous year: 108,080). This almost matches last year's record sales figure. In March 2002, for the first time, the sales volume had surpassed 100,000 automobiles.

As far as the BMW brand is concerned, fewer units came onto the market in the first three months of the current year because of model cycles. The BMW 5 Series is coming to the end of the current product cycle, and the model change will take place in July this year. The reworked 3 Series models, the Convertible, Coupe and Compact, were launched in Europe at the end of March. The BMW Z4 is now also available in European markets, after being delivered to customers in North America since autumn 2002. Against this background, sales of BMW automobiles in the period up to and including March fell by 7.3% to 215,770 units (previous year: 232,800). In March, there was a 6.7% decrease to 88,450 vehicles (previous year: 94,800).

The company is still assuming not only that the present fall in sales of the BMW brand will be made up by the end of the year, but that the existing record levels of 2002 can be exceeded. The precondition for this is still that the world political situation stabilizes.

Over 200,000 MINIs delivered since the market launch

At the beginning of March 2003, the 200,000th MINI since the start of sales in July 2001 was delivered. In the first quarter 2003, 45,810 MINI brand automobiles left the dealers' showrooms. Looking at the individual countries, the UK, as the country where the MINI originated, remained the unbeaten sales leader in the first three months of 2003, with 12,350 units sold. This was followed by the USA (8,180), Germany (7,110), Italy (5,580) and Japan (2,900). In March, MINI sales, at a total of 18,510 units, reached a new record. Never before have so many MINIs been sold in one month.

The MINI model mix in the first quarter 2003 confirms the tendency in favour of higher-value models. Of the 45,810 units delivered, 25,040 (55%) were MINI Cooper, 10,680 (23%) were MINI One and 10,090 (22%) were the top model, the Cooper S.

The motorcycles segment was not quite able to maintain the high level of the previous year in the first three months of 2003. Sales decreased by 3.8% to 20,900 units (previous year: 21,740).

    BMW Group sales in/during the quarter up to March 2003 at a glance

                           March 03    March 02      Through       Through
                                                    March 03      March 02

   BMW Group Automobiles    106,950      - 1.0%      261,570        + 0.5%
   BMW                       88,450      - 6.7%      215,770        - 7.3%
   MINI                      18,510     + 39.4%       45,810       + 66.7%
   BMW Motorcycles           10,560      - 7.1%       20,900        - 3.8%