The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported August sales of 23,965 vehicles, a decrease of 1.6 percent from the 24,343 vehicles sold last year. Year-to-date, the BMW Group also reported a sales volume of 168,940 vehicles, up 5.6 percent from the 160,044 units sold last year.
“As predicted, we are seeing a slowdown in the market and do not expect the second half of the year to be as strong as the first half,” said Jim O’Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC. “Despite this, building momentum throughout the year and narrowing the gap with our competitors is still our plan. The new 5 Series is now part of our model lineup complementing the segment leading 7 Series, Z4 Roadster and 3 Series. We are also seeing continual growth in the SAV segment with the X5 and X6, as intended.”
BMW Brand Sales
Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 1.6 percent for a total of 19,540 vehicles from the 19,232 units sold last year. Year-to-date, BMW sales were up 7.8 percent to 139,236 vehicles from the 129,176 units sold last year.
In August, the best performing vehicles included the 1 Series, up 52.5 percent to 1,394 units and the 7 Series, up 42 percent to 1,224 units. The X5 and X6 continue to perform very well with an increase of 21.4 percent and 34.4 percent, respectively.
BMW Pre-Owned Vehicles
Sales of BMW’s used vehicles (including certified pre-owned and pre-owned) increased 3.2 percent to 14,266 vehicles from the 13,830 units sold last year. Year-to-date, used vehicle sales were up 5.5 percent to 113,061 vehicles from the 107,137 units sold last year.
MINI Brand Sales
MINI USA reported sales of 4,425 automobiles, a decrease of 13.4 percent from the 5,111 cars sold last year. Year-to-date, MINI USA also reported sales of 29,704 automobiles, a decrease of 3.8 percent from the 30,868 units sold last year. The drop in sales was again affected by the Cash for Clunkers program that took place in July and August of 2009 and boosted sales volume.
MINI sales will gain momentum as the year progresses due the updated 2011 model year vehicles arriving at dealerships in two weeks. Additionally, the brand is seeing significant customer interest in the Countryman as MINI dealers have just begun taking orders for the new model coming out in January 2011.
