BMW 2005 Annual Report Download - page 17

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The BMW brand – the most successful premium
car brand in the world
The BMW brand, of which 1,126,768 units were sold
in 2005, thereby achieving a 10.1% increase over
the previous year, is the world’s most successful
premium car brand.
Since September 2004, the BMW Group has,
with the BMW 1 Series, been selling a premium car
in the compact class otherwise dominated by vol-
ume manufacturers. Demand for this model series
is developing very positively: a total of 149,493 units
was sold in 2005, its first full year on the markets.
Despite the BMW 3 Series Sedan model change,
the BMW 3 Series remains the world’s best-selling
model series in the segment for premium middle
class cars; 434,342 units of the BMW 3 Series were
delivered to customers in 2005 (–3.4%). The new
BMW 3 Series Sedan is the best-selling car of the
BMW Group: having sold 229,932 units since its mar-
ket launch in March 2005, it accounted
for 17.3%
of the total sales volume of the BMW Group in 2005.
Market introduction of the new BMW 3 SeriesTouring
began in September and, by the end of December
2005, a total of 27,049 units had been delivered to
customers. 31,841 BMW 3 Series Coupé and 31,679
BMW 3 Series Convertible were also sold.
Like the BMW 3 Series, the BMW 5 Series is
also the world’s best-selling model range in its seg-
ment. With 228,389 units sold during the year under
report (– 0.5%), it achieved a similar sales volume to
the previous year. The BMW 5 Series Sedan, with
a sales volume of 177,719 units, accounted for more
than three quarters of the total. In the same period,
50,670 units of the 5 Series Touring were also de-
livered to customers.
A total of 23,340 units of the BMW 6 Series was
sold in 2005, 10.9% more than in the previous year.
The sales volume of the BMW 6 Series Coupé in-
creased to 12,447 units and that of the BMW 6 Se-
ries Convertible to 10,893 units.
The BMW 7 Series also headed its segment
worldwide in 2005. The model revision was well re-
ceived by the market, with the sales volume increas-
ing by 5.0% in 2005 to 50,062 units.
In the first full year on the markets, the sales
volume of the BMW X3, at 110,719 units, surpassed
the previous year’s level by 20.0%. The success
enjoyed by the BMW X3 is testimony to the BMW
Group’s concept of expanding its product range
by introducing a further premium product in the
Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) class. Like the BMW
X5, the BMW X3 combines the outstanding agility
of a typical BMW with the broad range of uses of
an SAV.
Between December 1999, when it first went
on sale and the end of 2005, well over a half million
BMW X5 have been delivered to customers. With
101,537 units sold in 2005, the sales volume of the
X5, now in its sixth year since market launch, was
only slightly lower than the high level recorded in the
previous year (–3.3%).
The sales volume of the BMW Z4 Roadster,
at 28,808 units, fell short of the previous year’s
level (–25.1%).The model revision of the BMW Z4
with a refreshed look and, in some cases, equipped
with new engines, will take place in spring 2006.
The BMW Z4 M Roadster will add an even more
powerful and sporty version to this model series.
The BMW Z4 Coupé, first presented as a concept
study at the 2005 International Motor Show (IAA)
in Frankfurt, will be introduced on the markets in
Group Management Report 8
A Review of the Financial Year 8
The General Economic Environment 11
Review of operations 15
BMW Stock in 2005 38
Financial Analysis 41
--Internal Management System 41
--Earnings performance 42
--Financial position 45
--Net assets position 46
--Subsequent events report 49
--Value added statement 49
--Key performance figures 51
--Comments on BMW AG 52
Risk Management 56
Outlook 60
BMW Group – key automobile markets 2005
as a percentage of sales volume
USA
Germany
United Kingdom
Italy
Japan
France
Other
22.323.1
4.0 4.4
6.827.6
11.8