Audi Posts Rise in Car Sales

[Bubmeister@aol.com]

Thought this article from the 11/27/95 Wall St. Jrnl. would be of interest to
the group:


Volkswagen's Audi Posts Rise in Car Sales For 10 Months of 1996 (sic)
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CANNES, France - Audi, AG, the luxury car division of Germany's Volkswagen
AG, sold around 356,000 new cars world-wide in the first 10 months of 1996
(sic), up 22% from a year earlier, the company said.

At a Friday presentation of the company's A4 station wagon, which replaces
the Audi 80 wagon, Graham Morris, the Audi board member responsible for sales
and marketing, said the company continued to experience "significant growth
in virtually all our major markets."

In Germany, sales totaled 174,000 vehicles from January to the end of
October, up about 33% from a year earlier, he said.

Ads in the U.S. will be "wilder than we've had in the past," he said.  Audi's
U.S. sales have languished since the mid-1980s, when they were decimated by
reports of unintended accelerations, but Mr. Morris said they could easily
rise 40%-50% this year to 18,000 new cars and get a further boost next year,
when  the A8 and new A4 wagon go on sale.

Station wagons have become increasingly important in the company's strategy
to attract younger and more affluent customers, as well as more female
customers.  Station wagons account for 30% of Audi group sales, and the
market share of station wagons in general and up-market station wagons in
particular has steadily increased over the last 10 years.

On average, station wagon buyers are 10 years younger and have 20% higher
incomes than Audi's other customers, Mr. Morris said.

The company's A4 Avant wagon is to be priced around 46,000 marks
($32,618.60), 1% less than its predecessor, and be available in four
front-wheel drive and three four-wheel drive versions.