BMW Group Posts 21.7 Percent Increase in Global Sales in February

The BMW Group, which includes the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands, sold 111,720 vehicles in February 2011, recording a 21.7 percent increase over February 2010 (91,763 units) and setting a new record high for the month. For the year to the end of February, the German group�s sales volumes were 24.7% higher than in the first two months of the previous year, at 216,911 units compared to 173,913 in January-February 2010.

February sales of BMW brand cars were up 21.9 percent to 95,423 units, while MINI saw its sales climb 19.3 percent to 16,045, and Rolls-Royce posted a 276.1 percent increase to 252 vehicles.

In Europe, the German group�s biggest region, sales grew 16.8 percent to 57,381 units, while Asia accounted for 25,722 units and climbed 49.3%, and sales in the Americas were up 14.7% to 24,640 vehicles in February.

The company posted double-digit growth in its three largest single markets in February as new registrations in Germany climbed 20.8 percent to 18,883 vehicles. In the U.S. the group sold 19,919 vehicles (+10.8%) and in China, 16,511 vehicles (+72%) in February.

The automaker posted strong gains in other regions as well, with sales in South Korea rising 54.9% to 1,797 units, in India, +68% to 620 units and in Brazil, +101% to 938 cars.

�Our young vehicle fleet is currently doing exceptionally well from the recovery of the car markets in many regions of the world. In particular, strong demand for the BMW X models, the BMW 5 Series and the MINI Countryman shows that our model range is right on target. We should also see further impetus from the new BMW 6 Series, which comes onto the market in the spring,� said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing.

�We expect this dynamic growth to continue throughout the first half of 2011, and then slow down somewhat in the second half of the year, due to base-line effects,� he added.