INGOLSTADT, 1 March 2007 — Audi achieved new records in terms of production, sales, revenue and profit before tax in the 2006 financial year.
“Our excellent accounts for 2006 once again demonstrate how to achieve profitable growth. We are the fastest-growing premium brand in the world. This puts us well on our way to becoming the most successful premium car manufacturer in the world by 2015,” Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management of Audi AG, said at the annual press conference here.
The revenue of the Audi Group rose by 17.1 percent in the 2006 financial year to all-time record of 31.1 billion euros, significantly higher than the growth rate for vehicle sales (up 9.2 percent). The brand with the four rings enjoyed an even steeper rise of 43.2 percent in the operating result, to 2.015 billion euros.
Profit before tax reached 1,946 billion euros, a rise of 48.5 percent. This is its highest ever level in the history of the company. Profit after tax was 1.343 billion, representing a rise of 63 percent.
It delivered 905,188 vehicles to customers worldwide, representing a rise of 9.2 percent or 76,079 vehicles.
It achieved its best sales figure ever in Germany: 257,792 (247,125) vehicles were handed over to their new owners in 2006, equivalent to a rise of 4.3 percent. The biggest export market remains the US with a record total of 90,116 units (83,066, up 8.5 percent), followed by UK on 86,003 (81,374, up 5.7 percent) and China (excluding Hong Kong) on 80,808 (58,128, up 39.0 percent).
In the Middle East, the company enjoyed growth of 53.5 percent, with 4,616 vehicles sold. The biggest rises in unit sales was in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
“We are planning considerable investment for Middle East marketing because its a huge, fast growing market, Ralph Weyler, member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Marketing and Sales, said. “We wish to sell more than 10,000 vehicles in the Middle East during 2007,” he added.