Auto Business Records 31 Million Euro Loss

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG , the world’s largest maker of luxury cars, reported a 76 percent decline in second-quarter profit as the recession sapped demand for higher-priced sedans and sport-utility vehicles , Bloomberg reports.

But the quarterly EBIT figure was below the year-earlier level of 425 million euros due to months of falling unit sales and a collapse in profitability at BMW's core automotive segment.

The auto business recorded a 31 million euro loss before interest and taxes in the second quarter, compared with a EBIT of 395 million in the year-earlier period , Reuters reports.

BMW, whose brands also include Mini and Rolls-Royce, said its car deliveries fell 18 percent in the second quarter to 338,190 vehicles, compared with 413,087 a year earlier , eTaiwan News reports.