BMW sales in Aug rise 2% on China, Russia gains

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), the world's largest maker of luxury cars, said sales rose 2 percent last month, boosted by economic growth in China and Russia and gains at the Mini brand.

Deliveries increased to 101,673 cars and sport-utility vehicles in August from 99,725 a year earlier, the Munich-based company said today in an e-mailed statement. Year-to-date sales gained 4.1 percent to 992,339 vehicles.

China's gross domestic product may expand 10 percent in 2008, according to government figures released Sept. 2, while Russia's Economy Ministry is forecasting 7.8 percent GDP growth. That compares with a 0.2 percent decline for the countries sharing the euro in the second quarter.

Sales of Mini cars jumped 11 percent to 16,257, while demand at the BMW brand edged up 0.4 percent to 85,315 vehicles. The Rolls-Royce unit sold 101 cars compared with 82 a year earlier.

BMW's sales in China surged 61 percent in August to 5,523 vehicles, led by the 3-Series and 5-Series sedans. Russian deliveries climbed 28 percent to 1,744 in August. North American sales rose 1.7 percent to 33,338 vehicles, while sales in western Europe fell 2.5 percent to 46,227 cars and SUVs.