Originally Posted by
rickm
BMW Group Sales Up 8.0 Percent For Strongest Sales Month on Record
The BMW Group (BMW and MINI brands combined) reported an increase of 8 percent in May sales for 27,787 vehicles compared to the 25,765 vehicles sold that month in 2003, making it the best sales month ever for the BMW Group. The BMW Group also reported year-to-date sales of 115,737 vehicles, an increase of 3 percent from 112,278 sold in the first five months of 2003.
May Sales for BMW North America were as follows:
BMW Brand Sales:
BMW of North America, LLC reported its strongest month ever, with sales of 24,432 automobiles and Sports Activity Vehicles, an increase of 9 percent compared to the 22,455 vehicles reported last May.
Year-to-date, sales of BMW brand vehicles were up 3.2 percent with sales of 100,821 vehicles compared to 97,664 vehicles sold in first five months of 2003.
Automobile Sales:
BMW's automobile sales dipped slightly in May, to 19,385 versus 19,610 in the same month a year ago. Year-to-date sales were down 4.7 percent, to 79,896 automobiles compared to 83,793 in the same period a year ago.
Sports Activity Vehicle Sales:
Strong sales of BMW's new X3 Sports Activity Vehicle have contributed to the record sales month. Total May SAV sales were 5,047, compared to 2,845 vehicles sold in May 2003, a jump of 77 percent. Year-to-date, sales of BMW's SAV models are up 51 percent, to 20,925 vehicles compared to 13,871 for the same period in 2003.
Z4 Roadster:
Total Z4 and Z3 May sales dropped to 1,669 compared with 1,940 sold in May 2003. The new Z4 roadster has shown consistent sales since its debut in 2003, reflecting customers' delight with the all-new BMW Z4. Year-to-date sales for the BMW roadster totaled 5,688 compared to 8,237 last year for the same time period.
BMW's new premium two-seater features a fresh new design and all-new chassis. The all-new BMW Z4 roadster marks another highlight in BMW's new design strategy, and sets new standards for premium roadsters.
MINI Brand, MINI Automobiles:
Demand for MINI brand automobiles continues to be strong. Sales of MINI automobiles in May are up 1.4 percent with sales of 3,355 over the 3,310 in 2003. Year-to-date, sales were up 2.1 percent, with 14,916 cars compared to 14,614 sold a year ago.
The Spartanburg County BMW plant, where the X5 SUV and Z4 roadster are manufactured exclusively for worldwide distribution, is now recycling methane gas as an energy source. The recycled methane gas, drawn from the Palmetto Landfill near Spartanburg, will supply BMW with 25 percent of its energy needs. "This is a win-win for everyone. It avoids the need to burn methane. It yields significant amounts of clean energy. And, by avoiding 55,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, it results in cleaner, healthier air for everyone to breathe," said Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christine Todd Whitman. Currently, employment at the Spartanburg County plant totals approximately 4,200.
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the ROLLS-ROYCE brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW passenger car centers, 327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 148 BMW motorcycle retailers, 76 MINI passenger car dealers, and 25 ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.