Group Interim Report of AUDI AG
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at: http://www.presseportal.de/galerie.htx?type=obsRise in vehicle sales
Audi is defying the trend. Despite the general shrinking of the car market in Europe and the USA, the markets on which Audi substantially depends, in the first half of 2001 the group was once again able to increase its vehicle sales worldwide by 7.0 percent on the corresponding prior-year period, to 523,261 vehicles. This figure includes 368,838 (345,071) Audi cars, 162 (137) Lamborghini sports cars and 154,261 (143,954) vehicles of the Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle and Volkswagen Passenger Car brands that were distributed via the Italian importer AUTOGERMA S.p.A.
In Europe excluding Germany, a growth rate of 5.9 percent was achieved, taking the total to 156,999 Audi cars. In Germany, 129,660 customers took receipt of their new Audi; this re-presents an increase of 3.6 percent. The largest European export market was Great Britain, followed by Italy, Spain and France.
Audi was able to build on the previous year's record total in the USA in the period under review: in selling 43,300 cars sporting the four-ring emblem, it improved on the prior-year figure by a considerable margin.
Japan suffered from persisting economic weakness which likewise affected the car sector. Audi achieved unit sales of 3,196 cars, as against 3,576 vehicles in the corresponding period of 2000.
Audi has consolidated its position as market leader in the premium class in China. The Changchun-built Audi A6, which was specially modified for the requirements of the Chinese market, has increased vehicle sales by almost 80 percent.
Major markets Unit sales % change on
1-6/2001 1-6/2000
Audi cars
worldwide 368,838 6.9
Germany 129,660 3.6
USA 43,300 7.3
Great Britain 27,971 20.5
Italy 23,780 7.6
Spain 22,514 0.2
France 20,817 8.7
China 14,982 79.0
Belgium 10,802 -1.2
Switzerland 9,770 4.3
Austria 8,928 5.3
Brazil 6,060 42.9
Netherlands 5,968 -15.9
Sweden 5,446 -20.0
Portugal 3,757 13.6
South Africa 3,224 -3.7
Japan 3,196 -10.6Lamborghini worldwide 162 18.2
Vehicle production up
Thanks to high demand, Audi was also able to step up production by 13.5 percent in the first six months of the year, to 371,572 cars. This total was made up of 371,408 (327,167) bearing the Audi badge and 164 (134) sporting the Lamborghini bull emblem.
In Ingolstadt, Audi built 213,380 A3 and A4 models. 132,884 cars left the assembly lines in Neckarsulm, where the Audi A8, Audi A6, Audi allroad quattro and Audi A2 are - and the RS 4 until July 2001 was - built. The Györ plant in Hungary built 21,658 of the Audi TT Coupé and Audi TT Roadster jointly with the Ingolstadt plant. It in addition produced 3,423 of the Audi A3 on behalf of AUDI AG. The sports car specialists in Sant'Agata Bolognese (Italy) built 164 of the Lamborghini Diablo.
Models with permanent four-wheel drive continue to be much in demand: 29.0 percent of all Audi vehicles built in the first half of 2001 were equipped with four-wheel drive. The proportion of TDI engine versions continued to rise, reaching 43.4 percent.
Production output of engines fell slightly by 2.4 percent to 616,336 units as a result of reorganisation within the Volkswagen Group. The complete transfer of all engine production activities from Ingolstadt to Györ boosted the production figures at AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. by 12.7 percent, to 611,850 units. Engine production at COSWORTH TECHNOLOGY LIMITED more than doubled in the first half of the year, to 4,322 engines. Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. manufactured 164 (134) engines for sports cars.
Higher sales and earnings
The Audi Group recorded sales of EUR 11,427 million in the first half of the year. This represents a 14.5 percent increase on the prior-year figure of EUR 9,979 million.
Earnings before taxes improved yet again; compared with the figure of EUR 388 at the end of June 2000, the total of EUR 463 million on June 30, 2001 represented a rise of 19.3 percent.
Total capital investments of EUR 605 million in the first half of the year were slightly down on the high figure for the corresponding period of 2000.
Growing group workforce
As a result of extended business operations and the launching of new products, the total number of employees within the Audi Group was up 4.3 percent on the figure for June 30, 2000, to 51,130 employees. Of this total, 44,415 were employed by AUDI AG, 4,809 by AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. and 748 by COSWORTH TECHNOLOGY LIMITED. The Lamborghini Group had 477, and AUTOGERMA S.p.A. 665 employees.
Key Figures
Audi Group
1-6/2001 1-6/2000 1) Change in %
Production
Cars 371,572 327,301 13.5
Engines 616,336 631,197 -2.4
Vehicle sales
Cars 523,261 489,162 7.0
Audi 368,838 345,071 6.9
Europe 286,659 273,436 4.8
of which Germany
129,660 125,122 3.6
Rest of world 82,179 71,635 14.7
Lamborghini 162 137 18.2
Other Volkswagen
Group brands 154,261 143,954 7.2
Sales revenues
EUR million 11,427 9,979 14.5
Earnings before taxes
EUR million 463 388 19.3
Sales return before taxes
% 4.1 3.9 -
Capital investments
EUR million 605 699 -13.4
Depreciation
EUR million 639 637 0.3
Cash flow
EUR million 1,021 803 27.1
Employees
Average 51,170 48,517 5.51) Figures for the first half of 2000 have been adjusted to reflect the current reporting entity.
Note to editorial staff: * The complete Interim Report can be requested by phoning ++49 (0) 841/89-36189.
The Interim Report can also be found on the Internet at www.audi.com, sub-menu "facts".
Communication: Corporate and Finance Joachim Cordshagen, Tel: ++49 (0) 841 89 36340, Fax: ++49 841 89 36370 e-mail: joachim.cordshagen@audi.de Jürgen De Graeve, Tel: ++49 (0) 841 89 34084 e-mail: juergen.degraeve@audi.de
Original content of: Audi AG, transmitted by news aktuell