BMW Sales Leap 22 Percent in May

Following the trend set by its competitors, German manufacturer BMW posted strongly increased sales for the month of May, with the 147,563 BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce vehicles sold representing an increase of 22.1 percent compared to the same month of last year. Since the beginning of the year, the number of new BMW vehicles that have hit the road totals 667,511 vehicles, an increase of over 20 percent compared to the same period of 2010.

The best markets for the German premium automaker was the trio made up of Germany, US and China, with the last of the pack posting a huge increase in appetite of 51.1 percent. Volume wise, Germany was BMW's biggest market, with 29,372 vehicles sold.

Taken separately, all the brands in the lineup contributed to the growth posted by BMW. The core brand sold 121,168 vehicles, up 19 percent, while the MINI brand is making a strong comeback, with an increase of 38.5 percent to 26,104 units.

“This was the most successful May the company has ever reported in sales. Our young vehicle portfolio continues to perform strongly and we are seeing healthy balanced growth worldwide. There is a strong demand for BMW X vehicles and the BMW 5 Series, which has further strengthened its position as segment leader,” said Ian Robertson, BMW member of the board for Sales and Marketing:

“We are looking forward to even more momentum at the end of the year with the September launch of the new BMW 1 Series in Europe. We are well on course to maintain our position as the world’s leading manufacturer of premium vehicles throughout 2011.”