SHANGHAI (Bloomberg) – BMW AG, the world’s largest luxury carmaker, Volkswagen AG’s Audi unit and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz brand are making up for faltering sales at home by selling more cars in China even as industrywide demand cools in the world’s largest auto market.

Audi sold 53 percent more cars in China in July compared with a year earlier, while Daimler, the world’s second-largest luxury-car maker, tripled sales of its Mercedes-Benz brand to 14,500 vehicles and BMW raised its deliveries 82 percent to 13,852, the companies said this month. Sales of Audi and Mercedes fell in Germany for the month, while BMW sales increased 4 percent. Continue reading Audi, Mercedes, BMW rely on China as Germany stalls

INGOLSTADT, Germany (Bloomberg) — Volkswagen AG’s luxury division, Audi AG, aims for earnings before interest and taxes to rise faster than revenue this year as the A8 sedan and the new A1 compact win more customers in its largest markets.

“We now expect that operating profit will grow more than sales, provided that major car markets will continue to develop positively,” Chief Financial Officer Axel Strotbek said in remarks prepared for delivery today at Audi’s annual shareholder meeting in Ingolstadt, Germany.

The company has a goal of dethroning BMW AG as the world’s largest maker of luxury cars by 2015. Audi’s four-month sales totaled 360,750 cars and SUV, beating the 342,000 deliveries posted by Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz brand, leaving Audi as the No. 2 premium auto brand in the world based on unit sales. Continue reading Audi says A1, A8 should help 2010 profit rise faster than revenues

FRANKFURT (Reuters) — Volkswagen AG’s premium brand Audi AG said orders for its new A1 subcompact could exceed the 50,000 units of planned production this year.

The A1 is aimed primarily at affluent young people, an attractive target group since it rejuvenates a brand’s image and can build loyalty as people upgrade to more luxurious models.

“In view of the high demand, orders could surpass the production capacity this year,” Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi’s head of sales and marketing, said in a statement. Continue reading Audi says A1 orders could exceed 50,000 in 2010