BMW Reports Record Yearly Sales

DETROIT—BMW AG, the German luxury car maker, reported record sales for 2015 despite turbulence in some markets and warned about continued headwinds in the new year.

The Munich, Germany-based car maker said global sales of its namesake BMW brand and MINI compact cars rose 6.1% to 2.25 million vehicles last year. BMW motorcycle sales rose 11% and sales of Rolls-Royce ultra luxury vehicles fell 7%.

"Our sales grew consistently throughout the year, despite headwinds in some markets. We expect many of those challenges to continue into 2016, so it's important we continue to respond flexibly to market conditions in order to maintain our success," Ian Robertson, BMW board member in charge of sales, said in a statement.

Sales of BMW brand vehicles rose 5.2% to 1.9 million vehicles, the company's best year ever, and defending the company's position as the world's leading premium car brand.

Audi AG, which is owned by Volkswagen AG, reported global sales of 1.8 million vehicles last year, up 3.5% from a year earlier. Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz, fighting to regain the top spot, reported a 13% increase in sales to 1.8 million vehicles.

BMW faced considerable pressure in China, where the slowing economy has hit sales of luxury goods. Sales of BMW and MINI vehicles grew 1.7% in China, while weak China sales stunted Rolls-Royce's growth.

Write to William Boston at william.boston@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 11, 2016 09:15 ET (14:15 GMT)

Rolls Royce (PK) (USOTC:RYCEY)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024