Demand drives BMW importer sales up 40%

Automobile Bavaria, the importer of the BMW, Mini, Rolls Royce and MAN brands on the Romanian market, sold 1,474 vehicles last year, approximately 40% more than in 2004. “We consolidated our position on the premium segment,” says Michael Schmidt, general manager of Automobile Bavaria. He pins the sales trend on the overall growth of the automotive market, and on the new models launched by BWM Series 1, Series 3 and Series 7. “The BMW X5 model witnessed good results, too (the first SUV of this carmaker), even though it”s been six years from its launch,” Schmidt adds. Furthermore, the company has chosen a stronger involvement on the second-hand car sales market lately, by developing the buy-back system. The officials estimated 130 million-euro turnover for last year, with the company also operating as dealer for the Land Rover brand. BMW vehicles accounted for the bulk of Automobile Bavaria”s turnover as in the previous years. With 1,386 vehicles sold, the BMW brand witnessed a 40% growth. The best-selling BMW model was the X3 SUV, with over 350 units delivered, compared with 250 units the year before. Mini, the smallest brand in BMW”s portfolio reached 90-unit sales last year, from the less than 60 units in 2004. Moreover, Automobile Bavaria sold its first Rolls Royce as a dealer last year, which went to a businessman from Brasov, Ioan Neculaie, according to information on the market. ZF