Car giant BMW set for record sales

BMW, the German carmaker that also owns British brands Mini and Rolls-Royce, is on track for record full-year figures after another double-digit rise in sales.

The group said yesterday that overall sales rose 11.6 per cent to 177,716 vehicles last month compared to a year earlier, thanks to booming growth in China.

Sales of its flagship BMW brand rose by 14.3 per cent, helped by strong demand for its latest 1-Series and 3-Series ranges, while Mini posted its best ever September, with a 0.6 per cent year-on-year gain.

The firm said the launch of the Mini Paceman, pictured, in the first half of 2013 was expected to provide further momentum. Demand for Rolls-Royce cars was said to have remained “steady”, though there was a small decrease in the year to date. BMW brand sales rose 8.6 per cent to 1.11 million vehicles in the first nine months, or about 12,500 more than rival Audi sold during the period.

Brand sales chief Ian Robertson said: “We expect to see further healthy growth in the fourth quarter.”