BMW sets monthly sales record with 3 pct increase

[April 10, 2013]  FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- German luxury automaker BMW AG says it had its best month ever in March, increasing global sales by 3 percent to 191,269 vehicles.

For the first three months of the year, sales rose by 5.3 percent compared with a year earlier, to 448,200 units -- even though sales slipped in the company's home market, Germany.

German sales were off 3.8 percent. The company on Tuesday cited a "difficult environment" for selling cars but said it nevertheless gained market share. Sales rose 4.3 percent in the U.S. and 7.6 percent in China. Russian sales boomed 21.1 percent during the quarter.

The Munich-based company's mainstay 3-series midsize sedan helped global sales, with its numbers up 19.9 percent.

[Associated Press]

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