BMW Announces Record First Quarter 2012

BMW announced it set a new record for first quarter motorcycle sales, surpassing the previous record by 5.5%.

The German manufacturer sold 24,373 motorcycles in the first three months of 2012, outdoing the previous record of 23,109 units set last year. March accounted for more than half of BMW‘s first quarter sales, with customers scooping up 12,295 units over the month, up 5.3% from 11,675 units sold in March 2011.

Hendrik von Kuenheim, general director of BMW Motorrad, attributes the record first quarter to strong performance in regions such as the U.S., Brazil and Australia where the riding season is already well under way.

“BMW Motorrad got off to an excellent start to the 2012 motorcycle season,” says von Kuenheim. “This positive development is attributable to our attractive model range and the good market development above all in Brazil, the USA and Australia, these being countries in which, for climatic reasons, the motorcycle season starts significantly earlier than in Europe. In contrast, due to economical insecurities, markets in Southern Europe are in a difficult position. Nevertheless, if the framework conditions do not worsen, we will aspire to again exceed the record sales figures of 2011 for the whole year.”

Husqvarna also had a strong first quarter, rebounding from low 2011 figures. Last year’s low sales were a result of an intentional scaling back of inventory but the subsidiary is ready to start rolling out new products such as its Nuda 900 streetbikes. According to BMW, customers bought 2,642 Husqvarna motorcycles over the first quarter of 2012, a 36.2% increase from the 1,940 units sold in the same quarter of 2011.

[Source: BMW]

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By Dennis Chung