China continues to drive global luxury car sales

摘要

China's insatiable appetite for status-rich cars remains the main sales dynamo for Europe's sector leading prestige car makers BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Porsche. Consequently each and every member of this exclusive prestige car club has said its worldwide car sales ballooned last year to new all-time records, which gives rise to the prospect that last year's luxury car sales frenzy also helped catapult their 2011 profits into new record orbit Germany's well entrenched aristocratic old guard, thanks in large measure to the continued breakneck expansion of China's prestige car market, posted record sales last year, to be likely accompanied by announcements of record profits during this year's spring results season. Not only BMW and Audi, but compatriots Mercedes and Porsche also reported record global car sales for last year. Buoyed no less than its rivals by last year's prestige car sales bonanza in China, both the Mercedes car brand and Porsche said they sold record numbers of cars in 2011. Daimler said last year's Mercedes car sales rose 8 per cent to 1.26 million.