If you're sitting on the BMW AG Board of Management, you must be pleased with the BMW Group's 2015 worldwide sales. An all-time record 2,247,485 BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce vehicles were handed over to new owners. This was the fifth year in a row in which the Group set a new sales record, and it represented a 6.1% increase over the previous year's global sales.
One member of the BMW AG Board of Management is certainly tickled with the record sales numbers, and that member would be Dr. Ian Robertson who is in charge of sales and marketing. At the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week he explained the success, “In 2015, we launched a total of 15 new or refreshed models and our results show that these innovative new vehicles are popular with customers.” Robertson continued, saying, “Our sales grew consistently throughout the year, despite headwinds in some markets. We expect many of those challenges to continue into 2016, so it’s important we continue to respond flexibly to market conditions in order to maintain our success.”
The BMW brand led the way with its fifth consecutive record year. It’s only within the last two years that the entire BMW Group reached its target of 2,000,000 vehicles sold in a year. Now BMW by itself is creeping up on that milestone. In 2015, 1,905,235 BMW were delivered worldwide, a 5.2 percent jump over 2014.
BMW Keeps Luxury Crown.
The sales performance of BMW ensured that for the 11th year in a row, BMW is the global luxury sales leader. Its 1,905,235 vehicles sold gave it the clear lead over Daimler’s 1,870,000 and Audi’s 1,800,000 units delivered.
The BMW 2 Series, and especially the 2 Series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer, sold very well with 157,144 deliveries, an impressive number considering the Active and Gran Tourers are not sold in the U.S. The BMW 4 Series proved that BMW fans still love coupes—and Gran Coupes, we suppose—because BMW sold 152,390 of them.
BMW M is a relatively small subset of BMW, but it’s a strong subset, especially in the U.S. Worldwide sales of BMW M cars were up almost 65 percent, totaling about 35,000 cars. Add to that the approximately 28,000 M Performance cars sold in 2015 and BMW M proved it’s a force with which to be reckoned. By the way, according to Dr. Robertson, the U.S. is BMW’s largest market for M vehicles. Keep up the good work, M buyers!
Sports Activity Coupes increased in popularity. Deliveries of the BMW X4 more than doubled to a total of 55,050, while BMW X6 sales jumped by 50 percent to 46,305 units delivered. Speaking of X vehicles and jumping, sales of the BMW X5 were up 14.1 percent to a total of 168,143 worldwide.
BMW Plant Spartanburg Now BMW’s Largest.
BMW Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina is the home to the BMW X3, X4, X5, and X6. In 2015, as a result of its latest and still ongoing billion-dollar expansion, the plant produced 400,904 X vehicles and it is now the largest BMW factory in the world in terms of production. There will be more in 2016, since by the end of this year, production capacity will be 450,000 vehicles annually.
In 2015, the first full year of sales for the full two-car complement of BMW i models, the BMW i3 sold 24,057 units worldwide, while 5,456 BMW i8 sports cars were delivered. The total of 29,513 in global sales was a 65.9 percent increase over 2014.
Mini is officially back, with a new all-time annual global sales record of 338,466 vehicles. This included 127,194 Mini 3 doors, 94,788 Mini 5 door, and 8,003 of the new Mini Clubman, which went on sale in October.
Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW AG board member responsible for Mini, BMW Motorrad, and Rolls-Royce commented, “We are delighted that our fresh new model range has achieved Mini ‘s best-ever sales result. The Mini 3 door is as popular as ever and the Mini 5 door has attracted many new customers to the brand. I am sure the new Mini Cabrio, due on the market in March, will provide further momentum going forward into 2016. Our success last year shows that the Mini is heading in the right direction.”
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars had an excellent year, but was the only division that didn’t set an all-time annual sales record. Rolls-Royce only had its second-best year ever in 112 years, selling 3,785 cars worldwide. The economic downturn in China affected luxury cars there. The Phantom remains the world’s most desirable super-luxury car, and business should pick up in 2016 as deliveries begin of the new Rolls-Royce Dawn Drophead.
BMW Motorrad set a new sales record for the fifth consecutive year, selling 136,963 motorcycles and maxi-scooters in 2015. This was a 10.9 percent jump over the previous year.
The BMW Group’s stated worldwide sales goal was for balanced global sales. The company says it has achieved that with 2015 sales of 999,669 in Europe, 494,629 in the Americas, and 684,121 in Asia.
Selling 2,247,485 vehicles in a year is quite an accomplishment for the BMW Group because, in the great scheme of things, BMW is still one of the smaller car companies. Strong sales, a diverse product range, and healthy profits should help keep the company independent which, for us BMW enthusiasts, is a very good thing.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
