Car maker Audi announces half percent sales rise

Photo: Car maker Audi announces half percent sales rise

Audi AG is on track to beat its goal of selling 950,000 cars in 2007, as the company said Monday its November sales rose half a percent from last year.

The Ingolstadt-based automaker, owned by Volkswagen AG, said it sold 75,600 cars last month, compared with 75,258 a year earlier. Demand was strong in Europe, where sales rose 3.5 percent - led by strong growth in Britain and Spain.

However, demand fell in its home market, Germany, where monthly sales were down by 7.9 percent, and the company sold 22,094 cars.

U.S. sales also slipped in November, falling 1.1 percent to 9,104 cars from 9,209.

From January to November, the company said it sold 893,600 cars worldwide, up 7.3 percent from the 833,021 sold in the first 11 months of 2006.

Demand was strong in Europe, but fell in Germany by 1.6 percent.

In China, 11-month sales rose 25 percent, with 92,548 cars sold. In the U.S., they increased by 8.7 percent to 85,004.

Those figures are expected to help the company meet its goal of selling 950,000 cars this year, better than the 905,000 it sold in 2006.

Shares of Audi slipped 1.4 percent to EUR626 (US$917.03) in Frankfurt.