Audi hit all-time record sales in 2012, delivering 1,455,123 vehicles to customers, up some 11.7 percent on 2011.
The brand turned over £42.6bn and operating profits were up marginally in 2012 to £4.7bn, a good result, Audi says, because of the substantial investment being made in future models and production facilities. Audi’s return on sales margin was 11 percent and its return on investment 30.9 percent.
Audi’s biggest selling model last year was the Audi A4 saloon, which saw sales of 216,012. The A4 saloon was closely followed by the A6 saloon (214,129 units) and the Audi Q5 which saw 205,986 sales in 2012. Audi also shifted 57,778 A6 Avants.
The biggest gains were seen with the Audi Q3, which saw sales leap to 91,841 units from 2011’s part-year sales of 9288. The Audi Q7 also sold 56,193 units in 2012 and the A5 Sporback also saw strong sales at 53,522 units.
Lamborghini, which is part of the Audi brand group, sold 2083 cars in 2012, up from 1602 in 2011. The total was made up of 1161 Gallardos and 922 Aventadors. Ducati, Audi’s third brand, sold 41,102 motorcycles, a record for the Italian company.
Audi boss Rupert Stadler says Audi sales have doubled in the last 10 years and that the brand achieved all-time high sales in all regions of the world. Sales were up 28 percent in Asia Pacific and up 12 percent up in North America.
Audi sales in the UK reached 123,000 units, 7 percent up on 2011 and Audi is now 'neck and neck' with BMW in the UK.
