07/04 (18:29) BMW `HAD RECORD SALES QUARTER'
By David Barrett, PA News
BMW Group achieved record sales during the first three months of this year,
it announced tonight.
The company sold 309,000 cars worldwide during the period - including Rover
vehicles built by British workers who are now under threat after the group's
break-up.
In BMW's home country, Germany, sales of the British-made marques were on the
increase during the period, with more than 1,000 extra cars sold than in the
same period the previous year.
BMW Group tonight described the results as its "best quarter of all time".
Sales were up 34% in South Africa, 30% in Spain, 17% in the US and 13% in
France.
Worldwide, sales of Rover cars were 56,792 in the three-month period, down
from 58,577 the previous year, and 45,185 Land Rovers were sold, up 4.8%.
BMW spokesman Graham Biggs said the figures were only an indication of the
number of cars sold, and not profitability.
"Rover was losing £2 million a day and that's after investment of £3
billion," he said.
"Rover sales volumes were reasonable but the profitability was very much in
the negative."
Forwarded on the express request of Triumph Listers
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