BMW management board chairman Norbert Reithofer on Thursday (14 March) said 2012 was the group’s best year yet as it announced record sales and profits and healthy margins.

Sales rose year on year by 11.7% to EUR76.85bn, EBIT was up 3.5% to EUR8.3bn, pre-tax profit climbed 5.9% to EUR7.82bn and group profit lifted 4.4% to EUR5.12bn.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Vehicle sales rose 10.6% to 1,845,186 units.

“We have achieved or surpassed all of our targets for 2012 in the face of very challenging market conditions,” Reithofer said.

Automotive segment sales rose 11.0% to EUR70.21bn for an EBIT margin of 10.9%. Pre-tax profit was up 5.5% to EUR7.2bn.

BMW brand sales rose 11.6% to 1,540,085 units, marking the first time the brand has done 1.5m units in a single year. BMW cited rising 1 series volume, up 28.6% to 226,829 units for claimed segment leadership, as one reason.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Mini sales were up 5.8% to 301,526 units.

Rolls-Royce claimed to be “clear market leader in the ultra-luxury segment in 2012”, with sales up 1% to 3,575 cars.

Of the future, Reithofer said: “We are again targeting further sales volume growth worldwide in 2013 and hence a new record level for deliveries. However, economic conditions are likely to remain challenging in many markets.”