Automaker giant BMW has witnessed a 52.4 percent increase of its annual sales incomes on Chinese mainland, the overseas market with the fastest sales growth, forming a sharp contract with the decline of 15.3 percent one year ago.

BMW's annual statement shows that a total of 23,595cars have been sold on Chinese mainland last year, a year-on-year increase of 52.4 percent, including 15,300 homemade Huachen BMW, up 76.7 percent. The sales growth on Chinese mainland is much higher than 9.9 percent, BMW's global sales increase last year. So far, Chinese mainland has become BMW's fastest growing overseas market.

However, BMW suffered an unprecedented sales sluggishness with only 15,829 cars sold on Chinese mainland in 2004, the only market that recorded negative sales growth.

The annual report also shows BMW has experienced booming sales in Great China region (HK, Macao and Taiwan included). In 2005, the gross sales volume of BWM and MINI brands in the region recorded 33,020, an increase of 36 percent annually; the sales volume of BWM 3 series on Chinese mainland reached 8,246, including 1,119 new generation sedans BMW3 series which have been put into market on Sep. 2005, doubling the gross sales from 2004; 7,054 BMW 5 series sedans have been sold last year, up 62.3 percent; and the sales of BMW's 7 series sedans topped 5,650, up 19 percent.

So far, Greater China Region has become the world's second largest market for BMW's 7 series next to Germany.

By People's Daily Online