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The Week in Germany: Business and Technology January 5, 2007 German Automakers Expect Record 2006 US Sales
German automakers are projecting record sales of a combined total of 900,000 vehicles sold in the United States for the year just ended. Mercedes Benz, Audi and Porsche each expect record sales figures for the US market. BMW appears headed to hold firm its previous year's sales, with more than 300,000 BMW and mini models in its most important foreign market, compared to 307,000 in 2005. For Mercedes Benz, a division of DaimlerChrysler, final figures could show an 8 percent increase or more, with over 240,000 vehicles sold. Meanwhile Volkswagen for the first time in several years is reporting a slight increase of 4 percent, to 233,000 vehicles sold. Yet Europe's biggest carmaker continues to lose money in the US market and is not expecting to be in the black until 2008 or 2009. Audi by contrast is expected to have boosted sales by more than 5 percent, with 88,000 vehicles sold. And Porsche was headed to sales of 34,000 sports cars and SUVs, or more than 7 percent over its 2005 figures. Projections are less rosy, however, for 2007. The slowing US economy, higher interest rates and price wars as well as increasingly brisk competition from Asian producers are expected to erode sales for German as well as American carmakers. The dollar has lost 12 percent against the euro in 2006, further compounding the challenge of expanding sales in the US market for European producers. In other news from the German auto scene, former Audi boss Martin Winterkorn
is taking over the reins from Bernd Pischetsrieder at Volkswagen. His
first major public appearance as VW's new head honcho will be at the 100th
North American Auto Show in Detroit, which opens on January 13. (TWIG,
dpa) Links:
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