Audi January sales rose 8 percent compared with a year ago

Luxury automaker Audi AG said Wednesday that sales of its cars worldwide rose 8 percent last month compared with the same period a year ago.

The Ingolstadt-based company, itself part of Volkswagen AG, Europe's biggest car maker, said it sold 75,150 vehicles last month, lifted in part by stronger demand from Britain.

The U.K. was the company's biggest market for exports, showing an increase of 15 percent from a year ago with 9,009 cars sold in the country. Across western Europe, sales were up 3.4 percent with 50,600 cars sold.

In China, Audi's second-biggest export market, sales were up 33 percent last month with 8,461 cars sold, while in the U.S., sales rose 5.2 percent to 6,399.

Shares of Audi were unchanged at euro530 (US$686.62) in Frankfurt trading.