BMW May sales up 11% on 7-Series, 5-Series models

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world's largest luxury-car manufacturer, said sales rose almost 11 percent in May as the top-line 7-Series sedan and a new version of the 5-Series model won customers.

Deliveries increased to 120,843 cars and sport-utility vehicles from 109,049 a year earlier, the Munich-based automaker said today in a statement. Five-month sales gained 13 percent to 552,864 vehicles.

"We are on course to maintain our position as the world's leading manufacturer of premium vehicles throughout 2010" because of new models such as the X1 SUV, Ian Robertson, BMW's sales chief, said in the statement.

The 7-Series, priced starting at 70,500 euros ($84,300) in Germany, went on sale in late 2008. The 5-Series entered showrooms in March, and a touring-car version is scheduled to be available later this year. BMW's sales increase in May lagged behind gains of 17 percent at Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand, the world's second-biggest luxury-car maker, and 15 percent at Volkswagen AG's Audi luxury division.

Deliveries by the BMW namesake brand increased 12 percent to 101,775 vehicles last month, while the Mini division sold 2.7 percent more cars, the company said. Sales at the Rolls- Royce ultra-luxury brand quadrupled to 220 cars.

Boosted by the new Ghost model, introduced in December, BMW intends to double sales in the Rolls-Royce division this year, Robertson said.

BMW and Mini deliveries in China doubled to 13,998 vehicles from 6,752, less than the 121 percent growth posted by Mercedes- Benz in the country while beating Audi's 40 percent gain.