Nestled in the latest BMW sales release was this nugget:
>Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: “There are first indications of a slight recovery on the automobile markets. It remains to be seen whether this trend will be sustained. With 12.7%, the BMW Group saw a much smaller decline in sales volumes in June than in previous months. In the first half of the year we were able to gain market share in the global premium segment, as we had planned. With a decrease of 18% in the second quarter, we also performed better than in the first, where sales were down about 21%.â€
It’s certainly early but it was seem that both MINI and BMW are starting to see a trend.
>MINI even managed to grow by 45.5% in Germany in June (4,363 / prev.yr. 2,998), achieving its highest ever monthly sales figure. In the year to the end of June the BMW Group sold 136,770 (prev.yr. 149,970 / -8.8%) units in Germany.
It’ll be interesting to see where this goes over the next several months…
<p>Very nice news for a Monday morning, hopping its the beginning of a longer trend.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see if “cash for clunkers” improves MINI sales in the United States?</p>
<p>I plan on taking advantage of Cash For Clunkers to get a new R57!</p>
<p>I’ve got a great clunker in my garage that I might take advantage of. It’s a red beat up MR-2… Would love to put the money towards a 135i.</p>
<p>Need to check your math… What they’re claiming is an overall slowing of the year on year rate of decline. FWIW, this is a bit of a stinker of a statistic. IF you bottom out at half the sales you had, eventually, the year on year drop would be 0, you’d just be a company moving half the units you used to.</p>
<p>Matt</p>
<p>Keep in mind your clunker has to get bad gas mileage. (or at least quite a bit worse than the car you are buying).I’m pretty sure a MR2 would not qualify to get a 135…</p>