Dubai's luxury car sales remain strong despite global economic crisis

AGMC sold 4,221 vehicles during 2008 placing it among the top five performing markets for BMW Group regionally and the highest in terms of sales volume. The growth also signals the importance and strength of the Dubai market despite the current global economic crisis.

Stathis I. Stathis, General Manager, AGMC said:

"In the current economic climate, where many car manufacturers are suffering losses, a 17 per cent increase in our sales is testament to the loyalty of our customer base and the strength of the BMW and MINI brands. Our 3 Series and 7 Series models performed particularly well in light of their new model launches, recording sales increases of 25% and 7% respectively. We look forward to continuing this success in 2009."

AGMC's successful year comes on the back of the launches of the BMW X6, the world's first Sport's Activity Coupe (SAC), the all-new redesigned 3 series, the MINI Clubman and the fifth generation of the BMW 7 Series, the first to be designed by Middle Eastern designers.

In addition to newly launched models, AGMC saw positive growth in other models, achieving a 17% increase in sales of the X3 and an outstanding 991% increase in sales in the range of the BMW 1 Series.

The success of BMW Group Middle East was further highlighted by a host of awards including a double win for two of its premium models, X6 and M3, which were named Car of the Year 2008 in two independent and highly respected automotive publications, CAR Middle East and Autocar Middle East.

Stathis continued: "We anticipate 2009 to be challenging but consumer demand in the luxury segment still remains healthy, and we have several new product launches planned for the year, so we are optimistic that 2009 will be another good year."