BMW Leads Germany to Record Breaking Luxury Auto Sales in 2014

Germany’s luxury automaker BMW had a record year in 2014, thanks in part to blossoming sales in the US and China.

The Munich-based company sold 1.81 million vehicles worldwide in — an increase of 9.5 percent over 2013 — and ahead of Audi, which increased sales by 10.5 percent to 1.74 million and Mercedes-Benz, which increased sales to 1.65 million, up 12.9 percent.

BMW AG marketing chief Ian Robertson told AP on Friday that the company was able to increase sales in all important regions thanks to strong demand for new models such as the X4, the 2-Series Active Tourer and the electric i3, which uses advanced carbon-fiber materials to save weight.

At Mercedes, China overtook Germany as the brand’s second-largest market behind the US Sales in China rose 29.1 percent to 281,588 vehicles.