2012 opens with a bang for the BMW group. The German automaker announced that it had achieved a record result in the first quarter: with an 18,1% increase in net profit to 1,349 billion euros. Overall, 425.528 vehicles were sold, 11,2% more than in the first three months of 2011, allowing for an increase in turnover of 14,1% to 18,293 billion euros.
If the automotive market in the world is "in good condition", in Europe the debt crisis is making itself felt. And above all in Italy where the numbers of the decline in car sales confirm the negative situation. So much so that BMW scored right in our country the greatest drop among all European markets with an 11,2% decrease (16.873 vehicles sold in total). All in favor of the Fiat group, which instead scored a significant increase in its market share. Will it only be the result of a patriotic choice by the Italians? Yet BMW also recorded a decline in sales (-1,6%) in Germany.
In Europe, the German group sold only 0,5% more cars, while in North America sales grew by 16,7% to 83.177 vehicles. But the maximum growth is being recorded in Asia (+31,9%), where 44,4% more cars (13.994) were sold in Japan alone. China also did well, where sales rose by 36,6% to 80.218 units.
The motorcycle sector was also positive: sales grew by 7,8% to 27.015 motorcycles.
