MAN Group has reported its best ever year with commercial vehicles sales of over 100,000 units for the first time ever.
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Operating profit was up 57% to EUR1,730m while return on sales was 11.2%, up from 8.5% a year earlier.
In a statement MAN said the result was due to strong demand, combined with ‘internal measures aimed at enhancing profitability’.
MAN celebrates its 250th birthday this year. Commercial vehicles account for two-thirds of the company’s revenue. Commercial vehicles sales were EUR10.4bn last year of total group sales of EUR15.5bn. Return on sales in the commercial vehicles division was 10%.
In an interview with Automobilwoche, Anton Weinmann, head of the commercial vehicles division, said order intakes for this year are still above current production capacity. Growth is coming from western Europe, where MAN is hoping to increase its share from 16.1% to 18%, and from eastern Europe, Russia and Asia.
Weinmann told Automobilwoche that cooperation with Scania and the commercial vehicles division of Volkswagen would make sense. He would not comment on any discussions taking place.
Speculation has mounted that such an alliance will take place following Volkswagen taking majority control of Scania in recent weeks. It now owns 68.7% of Scania and 29.9% of MAN.
Weinmann also noted that MAN would hang on to its bus division, despite a EUR 13m loss. Restructuring is on-going, including transferring some production to Poland.
