Audi 2006 Annual Report Download - page 149

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1 4 7
Audi Toolmaking wins “Excellence in Production” competition
The AUDI AG Toolmaking Division scooped the award “Toolmaker of the Year” in the “Excel-
lence in Production” competition in 2006; it had already earned this distinction once before,
in 2004. The division successfully fended off the challenge from 321 other toolmakers and
mould makers. The Audi Toolmaking Division has in recent years evolved from being an out-
and-out operating materials manufacturer into a system supplier. Around 1,500 people were
employed by the Audi Group within this division at the end of the year, at the locations In-
golstadt, Neckarsulm, Gy őr and Barcelona.
Sales and Distribution
The Audi Group boosted worldwide sales of Audi vehicles by 9.2 percent in the past financial
year, to 905,188 (829,109) units, thus setting a new all-time record. 257,792 (247,125) Audi
models were sold in the domestic market, 4.3 percent more than in the previous year.
Audi was also very successful in the USA in 2006. Between January and December,
90,116 (83,066) vehicles – an increase of 8.5 percent – were delivered to their new owners
there, despite the fact that the overall market shrank by 2.6 percent. Among other factors,
this welcome development is the first evidence that the optimised dealer network in the
USA is bearing fruit. Through its involvement in the diesel initiative “Bluetec®”, Audi has
joined forces with its partners Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler in an effort to boost the
popularity of these high-performance but economical vehicles in the USA. The aim is to
further bolster the growth that it is targeting.
Vehicle sales – largest markets
Vehicle sales
2006
Year-on-year
percentage
change
2006 market
share, per-
cent
Year-on-year
percentage
change in
overall market
Audi worldwide 905,188 9.2
Germany 257,792 4.3 7.6 3.8
USA 90,116 8.5 0.5 – 2.6
United Kingdom 86,003 5.7 3.6 – 3.9
China 81,708 38.8 2.0 26.1
Italy 59,002 6.2 2.5 4.0
Spain 54,557 10.3 3.4 – 2.0
France 45,525 9.7 2.2 – 3.3
Belgium 26,517 9.0 4.7 9.6
Netherlands 17,573 4.5 3.1 4.0
Austria 17,103 0.3 5.5 0.2
Japan 14,976 – 2.7 0.3 – 2.2
Sweden 14,583 17.0 4.8 3.1
Switzerland 13,947 8.7 5.4 1.7
South Africa 13,104 11.0 2.7 14.0
Russia 10,050 64.3 0.6 26.6
In China, the third-largest export market of the Audi Group, the brand with the four rings
succeeded in enlarging its market share by 38.8 percent to 81,708 (58,878) units, and as a
result was yet again the unchallenged market leader in the premium segment. Audi has an
exclusive dealer network of over 120 outlets in China. These sell both the A4 and A6, assem-
bled locally from CKD kits, and imported Audi models.