BMW 2004 Annual Report Download - page 13

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The number of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce
brand cars sold in Asia in 2004 rose by 2.5% to
95,360 units. More than one half of the BMW Group’s
sales volume in this region was accounted for by
Japan, where 51,838 cars were sold, 6.5% more
than in 2003.
The number of cars sold by the BMW Group on
the Chinese markets (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan)
fell by10.2% to 24,321 units in 2004, whereas in
the previous year, the Group had still been registering
very high growth rates in these markets. This was
primarily attributable to government measures taken
to cool the economy in China, resulting temporarily
in lower demand. The BMW Group nevertheless ex-
pects to record above-average sales volume growth
rates on the Chinese markets in the coming years.
BMW brand crosses the one-million threshold
With 1,023,583 cars sold in 2004, the BMW brand
exceeded the one-million threshold for the first
time, an increase of 10.3% compared to the pre-
vious year. At the same time, there has never been a
year in which so many new BMW models have been
launched onto the market in a single year.
Demand for the newly presented models has
been particularly pleasing. For example, 39,247
BMW 1 Series cars were sold on the European mar-
kets between September 2004 and the year-end.
The fourth generation of the BMW 3 Series has
been the most successful series in the group’s his-
tory: more than three million new cars have been
sold in the period from 1998, when the current
series’ predecessor was launched, up to the end of
2004. The new BMW 3 Series Sedan, which will
be available from March 2005 onwards, will continue
this success story. A total of 449,732 BMW 3 Series
cars was sold worldwide in 2004, 14.9% less than
in the previous year, the reduction being attributable
to model life-cycle factors. The Sedan remains the
most popular 3 Series model, with 235,251 cars
sold (–13.8%) in 2004.The BMW 3 Series Touring
recorded a 6.0% reduction in 2004, with 77,064
units sold.The sales volume of the BMW 3 Series
Group Management Report 8
A review of the Financial Year 8
Outlook 29
Financial Analysis 30
--Earnings performance 30
--Financial position 33
--Net assets position 34
--Events after the
Balance Sheet date 37
--Value added statement 37
--Key performance figures 39
--Comments on the financial
statements of BMW AG 40
Risk Management 44
BMW Stock in 2004 48
BMW Group Deliveries of automobiles*by region and market
in 1,000 units
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
Germany
Other markets
02 03
*adjusted for Rover/Land Rover
00
28.5
200.4
208.5
240.6
68.3
75.9 Asia/Oceania
34.1
255.8
122.1
258.2
260.7
273.2
37.8
263.6
294.9
106.5
120.9 134.5
04
39.4
283.6
126.4
01
225.4
82.3
35.5
225.8
245.8
90.9
United Kingdom
145.3
BMW Group – key automobile markets 2004
as a percentage of sales volume
USA
Germany
United Kingdom
Italy
Japan
France
Other
23.524.5
3.9 4.3
6.4
25.4
12.0
North America
Rest of Europe
298.1
315.9