News
Wolfsburg, 2008-02-22

Strong start in 2008: Volkswagen Group delivers 11.1 percent more vehicles in January

Total of 485,500 cars sold world-wide - record for the first month

The Volkswagen Group has rung in the year 2008 with a strong start. Europe's largest car builder delivered 11.1 percent more cars to customers throughout the world compared to the same month last year. The eight brands of the Volkswagen group delivered a total of 485,500 vehicles. This is a record for the first month of a year.

"This sustains last year's world-wide growth in deliveries. As a Group, we are well positioned with our brands and our constantly expanding range of models and are entering the coming months with complete confidence," said Detlef Wittig, head of sales for the Volkswagen Group.

In Europe, car deliveries rose in January 7.4 percent to 262,000 vehicles, of which 224,000 were in Western Europe for an increase of 5.1 percent. In Germany alone, 65,000 deliveries resulted in 14.9 percent more vehicles. In Central and Eastern Europe, customers received 38,000 cars from the VW Group, an increase of 22.7 percent.

In the Asian-Pacific region, the Volkswagen Group delivered 105,000 vehicles, 33.7 percent more than in January of last year. Of this figure, 94,000 cars were delivered to customers in China, 36.7 percent more than last year.

Deliveries in South America rose by 18.5 percent to 62,000 vehicles, of which 47,000 went to Brazil, (23.4 percent growth). In North America, 37,000 vehicles were delivered, a 10.3 percent decrease, of which 21,000 vehicles were delivered in the USA, a decline of 8.8 percent.

Volkswagen brand, the Group member with the highest volume, delivered 288,000 vehicles to customers world-wide in January 2008, 13 percent more than in the same month last year. Audi recorded an increase of 4.7 percent with 79,000 cars. Skoda improved deliveries by 16.3 percent to 52,000. Seat delivered 29,000 vehicles, registering a decline of 3.0 percent. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles grew by 16.6 percent to 37,000 vehicles. Contributions to the January deliveries record were also made by Bentley with 800 deliveries (2.3 percent growth) and Lamborghini with 200 vehicles (40.5 percent growth). Bugatti delivered three cars, down from 5 in January 2007.