volkswagen group sets new historic record with just under 6.2 million vehicles delivered worldwide in 2007

volkswagen group sets new historic record with just under 6.2 million vehicles delivered worldwide in 2007
Delivery of over 9000 vehicles in the Middle East region
The Volkswagen Group delivered over 6 million vehicles to customers for the first time ever last year. The Group sold 6.189 million vehicles worldwide, increasing deliveries year-on-year by 7.9 percent. “Vehicle sales in excess of 6 million represent an important milestone for us. I am convinced our great cars, attractive prices and further models will help us to beat the record yet again this year,” Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, commented. Winterkorn thanked customers all over the world for their confidence in vehicles built by the Group’s eight brands.
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand set a new record with worldwide deliveries of 3.66 million vehicles and a strong plus of 7.8 percent.  The Middle East market witnessed deliveries of over 9000 vehicles to customers throughout the region, a double digit sales increase compared to 2006.  The Touareg confirmed its special position as the most popular Volkswagen car in the Middle East region representing 28 percent of Volkswagen’s total sales for 2007, followed by the Passat which contributed to 27 percent of total sales and then the Jetta which accounted for 23 percent. 
Yemen proved to be one of Volkswagen Middle East’s biggest growth markets with sales tripling over the past year, of which the Jetta accounted for a staggering 54 percent.  Following this growth pattern was Jordan who more than doubled their sales in 2007.  Bahrain also witnessed exponential growth of 88% in sales, with the Passat representing 36%, an increase of 248% compared to 2006.
Hans-Dieter Keller, Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East stated, “We are very proud of our regional sales growth in 2007. A double digit increase is a significant rise in sales from 2006; this is a direct result of our attractive and increasingly individual model range and our dedication to continuous improvement within Volkswagen and our partners in the region.  In 2007 we launched some bestsellers for Volkswagen including the new generation Touareg, the all new coupe-convertible, the Eos, the CrossGolf and the Passat Turbo which was a huge factor to our success.” 
“Apart from the excellent model range, professional market coverage by our partners has also been a great achievement for us in the region. In 2008 we are expecting vehicle deliveries to increase even further with the launch of our new compact Sports Utility Vehicle, the Tiguan, which has already attracted enormous interest from customers worldwide,” continued Mr. Keller. 
Globally, the brand also reported a very high percentage growth in Brazil, Central and Eastern Europe and China. Deliveries in Brazil rose by one third (32.4 percent) to 493,700 vehicles. Brand deliveries in Central and Eastern Europe rose 29.7 percent year-on-year to 151,800 vehicles. 777,500 passenger cars were delivered in China and Hong Kong, representing a rise of 24.5 percent and maintaining the brand’s pole position in this passenger car market. 519,200 vehicles were delivered in the brand’s home market of Germany, representing a decrease of 9.1 percent and in line with overall market developments (-9.2 percent).
Group brands also recorded several all-time records last year. All eight Group brands increased deliveries worldwide compared with the previous year and thus contributed to the Group’s new delivery record.