BMW Sales Grow Globally, But U.S. Market Heads South

The BMW Group, including BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, had higher sales for the first three quarters of 2008 by a thin margin, even though U.S. sales were down.

“The situation remains challenging: The recent escalation in the financial crisis is also affecting consumer confidence in the premium segment,” said Ian Robertson, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for sales and marketing, in a written statement on Oct. 9.

Worldwide, total BMW Group sales were 1,113,972. That was 1.7 percent ahead of the year-ago period. BMW-brand sales were essentially even, down 0.1 percent to 928,230, including substantial improvements in China, Russia and India. Mini sales grew 12.1 percent globally, to 164,891. Rolls-Royce sales grew 42.8 percent, to 827.

Robertson said BMW expects, “the current weakness in demand to pass over time,” and noted that BMW is phasing in a new generation of more fuel-efficient engines.

Meanwhile, BMW is taking its lumps in the U.S. market, along with most other luxury brands. Rival Porsche earlier reported a similar pattern, with global sales growing while the U.S. market shrank.

U.S. sales for the BMW brand fell 29.5 percent in September versus the year-ago month, to 14,744, according to AutoData. Thanks to the credit crisis, that was much worse than BMW was doing earlier this year. Year to date, BMW-brand sales were down 9.6 percent, to 195,633.

Remarkably, BMW conceded in August it was not likely to post higher U.S. sales this year, ending a streak after 16 consecutive years of growth.

At the two extremes of the BMW Group’s brands, sales were up sharply for Mini and Rolls-Royce.