O'Donnell: U.S. to be BMW's growth engine of the future

[Jonathan Spira]

A Wall Street Journal article quotes BMW NA CEO Jim O'Donnell as saying the U.S. "will be the growth engine of the future. This is where we will continue to focus our efforts." The Journal's Kate Linebaugh (indirectly quoting O'Donnell) wrote that "BMW expects to gain share after it launches the new 1 Series small car in the U.S., a type of vehicle it hadn't offered previously"—apparently unaware that the 1 Series has been sold in the U.S. for quite some time. As of the end of November—the last period for which BMW reported sales—BMW NA had sold over 11,000 1 Series vehicles in the U.S.

The article seems to contradict September's reports that BMW would lower its sales volume in North America and reduce its allocation by 10%, or about 44,000 vehicles a year. In several interviews at that time, Jim O'Donnell told reporters that a fewer-sales strategy would be part of his presentation to BMW AG management in Munich in January 2009.—Jonathan Spira