| Volkswagen AG, Europe's biggest automaker, said | | | | group within the next three years as he seeks to |
| that sales of its namesake brand will rise to a record | | | | boost sales to 8 million vehicles. Groupwide sales this |
| this year after gaining 8.3 percent in the past eight | | | | year will rise to a record 6 million cars and SUVs, |
| months - thanks to the escalating demand for its | | | | from 5.73 million in 2006, he said. |
| best-selling Golf model, with more than 25 million units | | | | The German automaker said that sales at the |
| built by 2007. | | | | namesake brand increased by 12 percent in August, |
| According to the Wolfsburg, Germany-based | | | | led by growth in China. Additionally, worldwide |
| automaker, global deliveries will rise at least 3.2 | | | | deliveries climbed to 286,000 cars and sport- utility |
| percent to more than 3.5 million vehicles. The | | | | vehicles, automaker said in an e-mailed statement. |
| automaker sold 3.39 million Volkswagen-brand cars | | | | Eight-month sales gained 8.3 percent from a year |
| and sport-utility vehicles in the previous year. | | | | earlier to 2.4 million vehicles. |
| "By the end of the year Volkswagen will deliver more | | | | The automaker also said that the unit sales of its |
| than 3.5 million vehicles, more than ever before," VW | | | | Volkswagen brand totaled 286,000 in August, up 12.1 |
| brand sales and marketing chief Michael Kern said in a | | | | percent compared with the same month last year. |
| statement on Thursday. | | | | For the January-August period, total unit sales were |
| Volkswagen Golf, a small compact car, was the first | | | | 8.3 percent higher year-on-year, Forbes reported. |
| successful replacement for the air-cooled Beetle. The | | | | The maker of Volkswagen gear shift repair kit said |
| Golf’s success made the use of the hatchback in | | | | that it expects to sell more than 3.5 million vehicles of |
| the C segment of cars popular. Based on Bloomberg | | | | the core brand by the end of the year. The German |
| data, Golf sales in the first half, the latest figures | | | | automaker also intimated that the Volkswagen brand |
| available, rose ten percent to 300,600 vehicles, and | | | | will increase sales by over 3.1 percent this year, |
| the automaker has added shifts at the main | | | | thanks to strong growth in emerging markets like |
| Wolfsburg plant to increase production. | | | | Argentina, Brazil, and China. |
| The current Golf will be replaced in 2008 with the | | | | In 2006, models like the Eos hardtop retractable |
| next generation model. Sales generally decline for cars | | | | coupe-cabriolet, as reported by Reuters, helped |
| nearing the end of their life cycle as customers wait | | | | augment the automaker’s core brand sales by |
| for the new version. | | | | ten percent to nearly 3.4 million units. At present, the |
| Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn announced | | | | automaker is striving to improve its lineup to pull |
| plans last week to add 12 models at the Volkswagen | | | | more shoppers. |