Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Volkswagen AG, Europeâs largest carmaker, said global sales rose to a record in 2008 as demand for Audi and Skoda models, and growth in emerging markets, helped counter a slump in the U.S. Global deliveries advanced 0.6 percent to 6.23 million vehicles last year from 6.19 million in 2007, Wolfsburg, Germany- based Volkswagen said today in a statement. December sales fell 2.9 percent to 495,000. Volkswagen extended Christmas vacations at German plants and has cut production in response to the global recession. The auto industryâs sales in Germany slid 2 percent in 2008 to 3.09 million vehicles, the fewest since the countryâs 1990 reunification. The U.S. market shrank 18 percent to 13.2 million cars and light trucks, a 16-year low. âIts very good and better than their rivals,â Juergen Pieper, a Frankfurt-based analyst at Bankhaus Metzler, said by phone today. The sales increase is because of âthe success of their small cars and Audi, which is the only premium brand still doing well.â Pieper said the December and full-year numbers exceeded his expectations. Volkswagen took U.S. market share from Toyota Motor Corp. and Chrysler LLC in December as new models and a resilient Jetta sedan helped stem a sales drop in the worldâs largest car market. VW said Jan. 6 that market share in the U.S. rose last month to 2.8 percent from 2.1 percent a year earlier even as Audi sales fell 9.3 percent and VW deliveries plunged 14 percent. Multibrand Approach The Audi luxury division met a full-year goal of more than 1 million sales as deliveries rose 4.1 percent. Audiâs success came as rival Daimler AGâs Mercedes-Benz suffered a decline. âOur groupâs multibrand strategy is paying off,â Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn said in the statement. âWe expanded our position furtherâ with market-share gains in Germany and the U.S., he said. Sales by the Czech Republicâs Skoda division rose 7.1 percent for the year. The carmakerâs German deliveries in December fell 0.5 percent to 91,300. That brought 2008 sales to 1.06 million, a 0.4 percent increase from 2007. Full-year western European sales excluding VWâs home country fell 6.9 percent to 1.92 million, the company said. Volkswagen sold 41,500 cars in Brazil last month, bringing the full-year total to 633,300, an 8.9 percent jump. Russian deliveries reached 13,000 in December, resulting in a 62 percent increase to 131,300 for 2009 as a whole. Chinese sales jumped 28 percent in December, propelling a 13 percent gain in full-year deliveries to 1.02 million, Volkswagen said on Jan. 9.
I guess all those company sponsored brothel trips paid off for VW. That's what I call "increase of employee motivation" http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/13/germany.automotive
I own two VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) products and I LOVE them.....2008 A6 4.2L "S-Line" Quattro as my nicer cruiser and a new 2.0L Turbo Passat as my daily driver (which I put most of my daily mileage on). The Passat is brilliant and nailed 31.7 MPG on a recent long road trip I took with full luggage and 4 souls on board (not to mention a very nice sized back seat like my A6)!!! Heck of a deal for a car I paid cash of $23,680 for new (minus TT&L) and has over 200 Hp/Tq for excellent power in a daily driver. New A5/S5 is selling exceptionally well as is the R8 and new A4.......VW has the great new 2009 Jetta TDI and the new Passat CC is selling well (BTW, VW/Audi interiors kick all their competitors in the a$$). VW is gaining market share again over others in the $25,000 and under products range with "Sign-and-Drive" and fun to drive cars plus the new product additions don't hurt (Tiguan/Routan/Passat CC). My challenge to those who HATE VW products and think I am full of crap (many I am sure....LOL!!!)........go out to your local VDub dealer and conduct a spirited test drive of a new Passat CC VR6 "4Motion" That should RESOLVE any issues! :eek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8b0Rqr8UI4&feature=channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do6lqCuFWHc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkVA0qEIuBs&feature=related
BTW, when it comes to TUNING a VDub/Audi then HPA Motorsports and MTM are the KINGS!!! HPA....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds0XXmRfD9o&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbRsRkpmOdc MTM........ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBkX8GS5FoY http://www.mtm-online.de/en/index.php?nav=9&subnav=3&id=45
More VDub news............. http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/11/detroit-2009-volkswagen-bluesport-concept-turbodiesel-done-rig
VW's sales momentum positive in all regions, Diess says Volkswagen Group is on track for profitable growth this year thanks to positive sales momentum at the start of 2018, CEO Herbert Diess said. "We had a very positive start into 2018," Diess said at the Beijing auto show. "We see positive momentum in all regions," Diess added, referring to group-wide deliveries, which expanded 7.4 percent in the first quarter to 2.7 million vehicles. (Automotive News)