Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
New Models
AUTOS: BMW Wins Luxury Sales Race
German automaker beats Mercedes-Benz by a close margin in 2011 results after Lexus falls to Japanese earthquake.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted January 05, 2012   Washington, DC
BMW updated its popular 5-Series cars for 2012. (Photo: BMW)
BMW rules for the first time as the top luxury brand in the United States after besting German rival Mercedes-Benz by a thin margin in 2011 sales.

BMW and Mercedes had been locked in a close contest for highest annual sales, each of them plying customers with deals and incentives during the final months of the year. The two luxury leaders delayed releasing their December results until today after the rest of the international automakers released their data on Wednesday.

BMW’s figures show that it gained 15 percent in December while Mercedes grew 28 percent, each compared with December 2010. That put BMW’s annual sales at 247,907 while Mercedes hit 245,192, with just BMW 2,715 sales ahead. Each brand grew 13 percent for the year.

The final figures do not include BMW’s Mini brand or Mercedes’ Smart or Sprinter brands.

The luxury-brand sales contest came after Lexus, which led luxury sales for the past 11 years, was damaged by the deadly Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March. Production was severely curtailed in the aftermath of the disaster, and Lexus sales fell 13 percent for the year.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
bob_golfen's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Golfen

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.