New BMW 5-series pushes car sales up
German car maker BMW AG said it sold 97,220 cars in November, 14.2 % more than in the year-earlier period, thanks to the launch of its new 5-series.
Unit sales of BMW brand cars were 17.2 % higher at 83,850, while Mini unit sales slipped 2.0% to 13,380, it said.
The company said that, since the introduction of the new 5-series in July, it has sold 52,350 units.
Although there is not a breakdown of sales, Irish business is booming. A BMW salesman was Ireland's highest earners in the past 12 months, according to the Sunday Times most recent "pay list".
Mr Frank Keane, who owned the Irish wholesale franchise for the cars until the German manufacturers bought it back this year, had an income for the year of €48.6m, mainly from the sale of the BMW franchise, which he secured in 1967.
He is now selling BMWs on a retail basis.
