Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles achieves record sales

• Brand records a significant increase of 21.4 per cent in 2011
• Highest volume of sales ever achieved
• Schomburg: "Growth at three times the rate of the overall market in Europe"
• Disproportionately high international growth

"For the first time ever, we've sold significantly more than half a million lightweight commercial vehicles," says Harald Schomburg, Member of the Brand Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles for Sales and Marketing. "Our products are achieving continuing, double-figure growth on both our home European market and on markets outside Europe."

• The Caddy model range rose by 24.7% to 160,600 deliveries worldwide (2010: 128,800).
• Sales of the T5 model range rose with its Transporter, Caravelle, Multivan and California models by 5.2% to 155,800 worldwide (2010: 148,100).
• The Crafter rose by 5.7% to 39,600 deliveries worldwide (2010: 37,500).
• The Amarok Pickup tripled its global sales to 66,500 (2010: 22,500).
• The lightweight Saveiro Pickup increased its sales by 11.5% to 81,200
  (2010: 72,800).
• The transporter classic T2, with sales of 25,100 vehicles, was 3.6% down
  on the previous year's figure (2010: 26,100).

In Western Europe, the brand achieved a significant increase of 17.9%, once again expanding its market-leading position and selling 289,750 lightweight commercial vehicles to customers (2010: 245,700). "In Europe, we achieved three times as much dynamic growth as the overall market in 2011," emphasises Schomburg. "Our record sales are not only due to economic reasons, but are also the clear result of our powerful and efficient products, as well as the performance of our dedicated and specialist sales team."

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also achieved good sales figures in the Central and Eastern Europe regions. There, deliveries rose by 36.6% to 36,500 lightweight commercial vehicles (2010: 26,700).

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles enjoyed disproportionately high growth on the international markets in 2011. Of note were Africa (+89%), Australia (+45%) and Asia-Pacific (+48%). In South America, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles saw the number of vehicles sold rise by 20.9% to 137,400 - with the key markets here being Brazil, with an increase of 14.6%, and Argentina, where sales rose by 77%.

"Our calculations show that our brand achieved significant, double-figure growth in the majority of regions worldwide during 2011. We also achieved all-time highs on many markets - in terms of sales, but also in terms of market share. We are starting the new year with well-filled order books that even exceed the figures of 2007, which was a boom year for us," says Schomburg. "Our international focus means that we are well prepared for the opportunities, but also the risks, that 2012 might bring us."