Volkswagen On A Tear Globally, Misses GM In China By A Hair
Volkswagen has ended the year on a strong note. Shrugging off the troubles at home in Europe, Volkswagen increased its global group sales by a respectable 20.7 percent in December of 2012, bringing its global group sales for the year above the 9 million mark at an 11.2% increase compared to 2011.
Volkswagen performed most of this miracle in China. Less than 10 years ago, China was treated by Volkswagen as a penal colony for wayward executives. Now it is Volkswagen’s strategic high ground. Volkswagen is on a tear in China. In December alone, it sold 130,000 units more In China than in December 2011. For the full year, Volkswagen is ahead 550,000 units in China, making more than up for the 10,000 units it sold less in beleaguered Europe.
Volkswagen global group deliveries December 201212M’1212M’11YoYDec’12Dec ’11YoYTotal9,070,0008,160,00011.2%784,300649,70020.7%Europe3,670,0003,680,000-0.3%270,000300,000-10.0%Ger1,180,0001,150,0001.9%80,00090,000-11.1%WEur ex D1,850,0001,980,000-6.5%140,000160,000-12.5%EEur644,300547,80017.6%53,50052,9001.1%China2,810,0002,260,00024.5%280,000150,00086.7%USA596,100444,20034.2%62,10045,50036.5%South Am1,010,000930,0008.2%86,20074,40015.9%Black: VW data. Blue: TTAC calculatedIncluding Porsche from August 1, 2012. Excluding MAN and ScaniaThe Volkswagen Group delivered 2.81 million units in China this year, missing GM’s 2.84 million by less than 30,000 – a rounding error in China. Most importantly: All of Volkswagen’s sales in China are high margin products, whereas more than half of GM’s China sales are low-cost, low-margin Wulings. Also, it is quite interesting that GM waited with its announcement of December and full year China sales until the very day Volkswagen would announce theirs, a Sunday no less. Usually, GM announces very early in the month.
Volkswagen global deliveries 2012 by brand12M’1212M’11YoYVolkswagen Passenger Cars5,740,0005,090,00012.7%Audi1,460,0001,300,00011.7%Porsche59,500 See noteŠKODA939,200879,2006.8%SEAT321,000350,0008.3%Volkswagen Commercial550,400528,9004.1%Note: Including Porsche from August 1, 2012. Excluding MAN and ScaniaAs far as the World’s Largest Automakers go , our prediction, repeated since May 2012, remains unchanged: #1 Toyota, #2 GM, #3 Volkswagen.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
More by Bertel Schmitt
Comments
Join the conversation
How does GM SAIC go up 11% YOY in December and VW go up so dramatically in Dec and SAIC reports only up 7.1%. Weird. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/01/saics-december-sales-lackluster-no-good-omen-for-gm/
"Sehr geehrte" translates from the German as "Most Honorable." And when spoken by a German to an Ausländer... should be understood ...ironically? Schadenfreudliche?