BERLIN (AP) -- Seemingly insatiable Chinese appetite for German cars drove Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG to double-digit auto sales growth in 2010, the companies said Friday.
Deliveries of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz passenger cars rose 15.3 percent to 1.17 million cars during 2010, the luxury automaker said. Volkswagen, in turn, saw 2010 sales grow 13.9 percent to a new record of 4.5 million cars.
Daimler's sales in China alone -- now its third-largest single market -- more than doubled from 70,000 to 149,000 cars.
Volkswagen, traditionally strong on the Chinese market, said its sales there grew by a further 35 percent to 1.51 million vehicles, meaning one in three of its new cars in 2010 was sold there.
Volkswagen's luxury brand Audi likewise saw its China sales boosted, with deliveries up by 43 percent to 228,000 vehicles.
"Demand increased significantly faster than expected which led to shortages at the car dealers toward the year's end," Audi said in a statement.
The increasing dependence of German carmakers on the Chinese market was most visible shortly after the Christmas holidays, when an announcement on sharply limiting new car registrations in 2011 in the country's capital, Beijing, knocked German carmakers' stocks down about 5 percent.
Worldwide sales for Audi rose by 15 percent during the year to 1.09 million vehicles, the company said. Sales in Europe grew by 4.6 percent to 648,000 cars, while deliveries in the U.S. were up by 23 percent to 102,000 units.
Volkswagen, based in Wolfsburg, said sales in Europe were almost steady at 1.55 million vehicles. Deliveries in South America rose by 2.9 percent to 756,000 cars, and sales in North America were up by 18 percent from 345,000 to 406,000 units.
Daimler, based in Stuttgart, said sales in Western Europe rose only 1 percent to 557,000 cars, but those in the U.S. increased by some 14 percent from 190,000 to 216,000 vehicles.
"The year was marked by the success of the E- and S-Class in particular, as well as high growth rates mainly in China and the other BRIC countries," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said.
He also gave a bullish outlook for 2011, saying "prospects are looking very good for Mercedes-Benz in the new year."
Deliveries of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz passenger cars rose 15.3 percent to 1.17 million cars during 2010, the luxury automaker said. Volkswagen, in turn, saw 2010 sales grow 13.9 percent to a new record of 4.5 million cars.
Daimler's sales in China alone -- now its third-largest single market -- more than doubled from 70,000 to 149,000 cars.
Volkswagen, traditionally strong on the Chinese market, said its sales there grew by a further 35 percent to 1.51 million vehicles, meaning one in three of its new cars in 2010 was sold there.
Volkswagen's luxury brand Audi likewise saw its China sales boosted, with deliveries up by 43 percent to 228,000 vehicles.
"Demand increased significantly faster than expected which led to shortages at the car dealers toward the year's end," Audi said in a statement.
The increasing dependence of German carmakers on the Chinese market was most visible shortly after the Christmas holidays, when an announcement on sharply limiting new car registrations in 2011 in the country's capital, Beijing, knocked German carmakers' stocks down about 5 percent.
Worldwide sales for Audi rose by 15 percent during the year to 1.09 million vehicles, the company said. Sales in Europe grew by 4.6 percent to 648,000 cars, while deliveries in the U.S. were up by 23 percent to 102,000 units.
Volkswagen, based in Wolfsburg, said sales in Europe were almost steady at 1.55 million vehicles. Deliveries in South America rose by 2.9 percent to 756,000 cars, and sales in North America were up by 18 percent from 345,000 to 406,000 units.
Daimler, based in Stuttgart, said sales in Western Europe rose only 1 percent to 557,000 cars, but those in the U.S. increased by some 14 percent from 190,000 to 216,000 vehicles.
"The year was marked by the success of the E- and S-Class in particular, as well as high growth rates mainly in China and the other BRIC countries," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said.
He also gave a bullish outlook for 2011, saying "prospects are looking very good for Mercedes-Benz in the new year."
