BMW Announces Year End Sales
6 January 1998
BMW Ends Best Year Ever; Record Increases Reported Across Entire Model Line Worldwide Sales Increase Four Percent in 1997
DETROIT, Jan. 6 -- BMW of North America, Inc. yesterday
announced year-end sales of 122,467, breaking all previous U.S. sales records.
Growth across the entire model line helped propel the brand to the new
year-end record: 8 Series sales were up 18 percent; 7 Series sales up
6 percent; 5 Series up 38 percent; 3 Series increased by 4 percent; and
Z3roadster up 31 percent.
Worldwide, BMW sales were up 4 percent over last year, for a total in
excess of 675,000 units, again confirming BMW's role as leading European
luxury automaker. The combined BMW and Rover Group sales number will be
almost 1.2 million vehicles worldwide. (Rover figures, which will exceed
500,000, will be announced Wednesday.)
Sales of BMW automobiles in the United States were up more than 16 percent
versus the 105,761 vehicles sold in 1996. BMW also reported December 1997
sales of 10,571, compared to 6,501 units in December 1996.
"Given the unique dynamics of the US market today, with passenger car
sales down precipitously and light-duty truck sales surging, we're
particularly gratified that we were able to achieve these results exclusively
through the sale of our luxury performance automobiles," commented Victor
Doolan, president of BMW of North America, Inc. "More than ever, Americans
have been responding to the responsive performance, class-leading safety and
inherent value that have long defined BMW in the US. We couldn't be happier."
"This past year, BMW was the first -- and to this day only -- company to
introduce a system designed to protect front-seat occupant's heads in
side-impact collisions. And we're committed to continued growth of the BMW
brand in '98 through such exciting plans as our expansion of the M 'high
performance' line-up of products," continued Doolan. The M brand will expand
from two to five models with the introduction of the M roadster, the
M3 convertible and the M coupe.
BMW sales have increased 128 percent in the past six years, with
consistent annual increases since 1991. BMW first broke through the
100,000 unit sales ceiling in December, 1996 and did so again in
October, 1997.
Total year-end figures for BMW Group will be announced at the end of
January.
BMW of North America, Inc. was established in 1975, when the company
assumed marketing and distribution responsibilities for BMW vehicles in the
U.S. from the previous private distributor. Since then, the company's North
American operations have grown to include marketing, sales and financial
services organizations in the United States and Canada; a South Carolina
manufacturing operation; a design firm in California; and various other
operations throughout the U.S. and Canada. BMW is represented in North
America through a network of more than 375 automobile and 190 motorcycle
retailers in the United States and Canada. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the
brand's North American headquarters, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Information about BMW products is available to consumers via the World Wide
Web on the BMW homepage. The address is: http://www.bmwusa.com.
SALES REPORT FOR DECEMBER 1997
1997 1996
December 10571 6501
Year-to-Date 122467 105761
Dec. Year-to-Date Dec. Year-to-Date
1997 1997 1996 1996
318ti 275 4622 170
318is 69 1298 110
318i 4-door 518 6797 259
318i 4-door (US) 33 811 --
318iC 28 1629 102
323is 498 1159 --
323iC 413 963 --
325iC 0 9 7
325i 4-door 0 14 12
328is 320 438O 291
328i 4-door 941 14023 --
328i 4-door (US) 2 13 468
328iC 456 8812 397
M3 2-door 261 3405 166
M3 4-door 354 4535 169
3 Series 4168 52470 2151 50248
Z3 1.9(US) 556 10058 522
Z3 2.8(US) 767 9702 468
Z3 1323 19760 990 15040
525i 4 62 17
525iT 2 53 10
528i 2551 24421 886
530i 0 3 1
530iT 1 3 -1
540i 1 9 4
540i (E39) 669 6796 525
M5 0 0 0
5 Series 3228 31347 1442 22775
6 Series -- -- 0 0
740i 641 5311 454
740iL 1003 11925 1347
75OiL 151 1037 77
7 Series 1795 18273 1878 17173
84OCiA 36 487 30
85OCiA 21 129 10
850CSi 0 1 0
8 Series 57 617 40 525
SOURCE BMW of North America, Inc.