BMW Group sales rose 10.1% to 123,751 last month but fell 10.4% to 1,286,310 for the year with the automaker saying the decrease “was smaller than expected and ultimately relatively moderate”.
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Emerging market sales growth was strong: up 37.5% to 90,536 in China, up 118.8% to 6,398 in Brazil, and up 24.4% to 3,619 in India.
Loyal Germany remained the largest single market for BMW and Mini brands but sales were off 9.4% to 258,012.
US sales fell 20.3% to 241,727.
BMW group sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson said of the this year in the US: “There have been many encouraging signs over the past few months. In December sales increased by 9.2%. We aim to grow again in the US in 2010.”
BMW brand sales worldwide for the year fell sold 11.1% to 1,068,770 and Mini was down 6.8% to 216,538.
The automaker said Rolls-Royce retailed 1002 cars during 2009, without providing a comparison. A year ago, just-auto reported sales rose 20% to a record 1,212 units. The ’09 tally included 150 of the new Ghost model.
Robertson added: “We have succeeded in remaining the world’s leading premium car company in 2009. We ended the fourth quarter with volumes up 7.7%. The decrease in sales for 2009 turned out to be smaller than expected.”
BMW was optimistic about 2010 and was “aiming for growth in the single-digit percentage range”.
New models such as the redesigned BMW 5 series due on sale in the first quarter and Mini Traveller SUV (third quarter) would help.
