The BMW Group increased its global sales in 2006 by 3.5% to 1,373,926 units.

Sales of the BMW brand, at 1,185,049 vehicles, outstripped the previous year's figure (1,126,768) by 5.2%. Sales of the Mini brand fell by 6.2% to 188,072 deliveries (previous year: 200,428).

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars handed over 805 Phantoms to customers up by 1.1% on 2005.

Dr Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board of BMW, said: "These outstanding sales results mean that each of our three brands - BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce - is the market leader in its own segment."

Dr Reithofer was also positive about the prospects for BMW Group sales in the future: "We want to continue the BMW Group's success story in 2007. That is to say, we intend to achieve new sales records for every brand."

The top selling BMW Group model series by far is still the 3-series, in its four variants - saloon, touring, coupé and convertible. Sales of the 3-series rose by 17.1% to 508,498 units (prev yr: 434,342). This means that this best-seller accounts for 43% of sales of the BMW brand. Second place, in terms of volume, is taken by the 5-series, with an increase in sales to 232,162 automobiles (prev yr: 228,389/+1.7%).

The 1-series comes in third place, with 151,914 deliveries to customers (prev yr: 149,493/+1.6%), followed by the X3 with 113,997 deliveries (prev yr: 110,719/+3.0%). Because of the end of the model cycle of the first generation, sales of the BMW X5 in 2006 fell by 25.8% to 75,356 units (prev yr: 101,537). In the years before this, the BMW X5 and the X3 had each come right at the top of their segment.

BMW sold sold 50,199 of its 7-series (prev yr: 50,062/+0.3%). With sales of 30,974 vehicles (prev.yr.: 28,874), the Z4 is 7.3% over the level of the previous year. The company sold 621,942 units of its 6-series were delivered to customers (prev yr: 23,340/-6.0%).

In a monthly comparison, sales of the BMW brand in December 2006 shot up by 7.8% compared with the same month last year to reach 114,995 cars delivered (prev yr: 106,675).