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.May 05, 2004
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This Week:

• Two Vintage Chrysler Roadsters to Race in Historic Mille Miglia

• GM Delivers The World's First Full-Size Hybrid

• Toyota Prius Engine Safety in the Event of an Accident

• Rolls-Royce 100-Year Anniversary

• BMW Group Makes Good Start To Year 2004

• Porsche(R) Cayenne(R) Gets Six-Speed Manual Gearbox

• Jaguar and Land Rover North America Announce Executive Appointments

• On the road to success: Passat with diesel particulate filter increases market share

• Nissan North America Reports April Sales

• Chinese Government Commission Approves Production of Mercedes-Benz Sedans in China

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BMW Group Makes Good Start To Year 2004
 

Munich - The BMW Group began 2004 with business in the first quarter progressing well. Following a slow start in January due to production line modifications, car sales volumes increased sharply as the first quarter progressed, reaching historical new record levels for BMW and MINI brand cars in March. The new models BMW X3, BMW 5 Series and BMW 6 Series, have all gone down well in the market and are providing significant momentum for growth. The Group has accordingly been able to increase its total sales volume by 3.2% in the first three months of 2004 compared to the equivalent quarter last year. In total, the BMW Group delivered 269,973 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand cars to customers during the first quarter 2004 (1st quarter 2003: 261,573 cars).

Group revenues for the first quarter 2004, at euro 10,805 million, were 4.9% higher than the same quarter of the previous year (1st quarter 2003: euro 10,297 million). The profit from ordinary activities for the Group rose by 2.5% to euro 851 million (1st quarter 2003: euro 830 million). The net profit of the BMW Group for the first quarter was 523 euro million, also 2.5% ahead of the equivalent period last year (1st quarter 2003: euro 510 million). The Group generated earnings per share of common stock and preferred stock of euro 0.78 (+2.6% / 1st quarter 2003: euro 0.76).

In the words of Helmut Panke, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG: "The BMW Group is increasingly seeing the benefit of the product and market initiative this year. The positive resonance received by the new models and the first signs of a revival in the automobile sector reinforce the BMW Group in its aim to achieve sales volume growth for all brands and also to generate its best result to date."

(05.05.2004)