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DR. HELMUT PANKE - GENEVA 2006 PRESS CONFERENCE |
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Written by Jeff Seabrook
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Tuesday February 28, 2006 |
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Ladies and Gentlemen -
Welcome to our stand!
Today I have two core messages for you:
• The product initiative of the BMW Group is paying off.
• And: By continuing our product initiative with new models this year and in the years to come, we are strengthening the foundation for our company's future growth.
As you know, the BMW Group achieved a new record in retail volume in the business year 2005 when we sold more than 1.3 million vehicles of the three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. We had announced an increase in retail volume in the higher one-digit percentage range. At 9.9 per cent compared to the year before, we were right to the point.
This is how we have become the number one among all premium manufacturers in the global automotive industry. We intend to secure and extend this top position in the next years.
In a nutshell:
• All our three brands are ahead of their respective competitors.
• At over 1.22 million vehicles delivered to customers, BMW sold more cars in 2005 than any other premium brand.
• At the same time, the BMW brand substantially extended its lead over all competitors. This clearly demonstrates the brand's dynamic growth.
This positive development is mainly the result of our product initiative. In 2005, we updated our core model series by launching the new BMW 3 Series Sedan and Touring, the model update of the BMW 7 Series and the four-wheel-drive model of the 5 Series. And this was clearly the right strategy: All three core model series - the BMW 3, 5 and 7 Series - were global market leaders in their respective segments in 2005. At 229,000 deliveries, the new BMW 3 Series Sedan, launched in March, was last year's top seller among all models of the BMW Group.
But let us have a look at the current business year: You know that we intend to reach a new record in retail volume.
As we have already announced, BMW Group retail volume has increased by 14.6 per cent in January this year. And according to recent projections for February, we have again achieved an increase in the two-digit percentage range. The exact figures will be published next Tuesday.
This gives us a solid foundation for achieving our sales target 2006 - despite the fact that we will not be able to maintain the high growth rate of the first two months throughout the remaining year. There are some base effects from model changes, for example the BMW 3 Series Sedan and the 3 Series Touring. Both new models were not yet available one year ago.
Another point is that in 2006 we will not be able to deliver as many MINI vehicles as in the previous year. This is actually due to the lasting success of the MINI brand. Extending the MINI brand's production capacity required some construction and modernization at our MINI Plant Oxford, which for a short time interrupted our production.
Our product initiative has been a key driver of the BMW Group's success - and this is not going to change. We are continuing along this path with new models in 2006:
Two new vehicles are making their world premieres here at Geneva: the Z4 Coupe and the Z4 M Coupe, which will be unveiled in a moment. Both models are perfect symbols of the values and the fascination the BMW brand stands for - namely sporting flair, dynamics and emotion.
The model update of the Z4 roadster as well as the Z4 M roadster, which you can see here at the stand, will be available as early as this spring.
With the Z4 Coupe and the Z4 M Coupe, we are continuing the BMW brand's longstanding tradition in producing sporty two-seaters. The market launch in the US is scheduled for the end of May. All other markets will follow in mid-June. Obviously, models such as the new Z4 Coupe or the Z4 Roadster are not among the BMW Group's key drivers of retail volume. But one thing is clear: Such a vehicle is highly desirable. The new Z4 Coupe is the perfect embodiment of "sheer driving pleasure" or the experience of "the ultimate driving machine", especially its most sporty version, the M model.
Considering this, both new models will strengthen the BMW brand's radiance and thus make an important contribution to the future growth of our company. It is part of our corporate strategy to grow with well-established models as well as to expand into existing or new markets with new offers - if we see sufficient growth potential. Moreover, innovative vehicle concepts help us to develop entirely new segments, which create new demand. Just think about the two completely new, independent model series to be launched in 2008, which we announced here in Geneva last year.
According to our long-term strategy, which focuses on profitable growth, we are pushing our product initiative further and further. This is how we are going to continue our success into the future. And I can tell you that there will be some more interesting models coming up this year.
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BMW AG News 
Friday July 25, 2008
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