| Europe's largest automaker Volkswagen AG | | | | one-time chance to turn this around.'' |
| inked sales record of 6.2 million vehicles | | | | |
| last year thanks to the strong demand in | | | | Increases were strongest in emerging |
| Brazil, China and eastern Europe. | | | | economies, with sales in China jumping by 28 |
| | | | percent to more than 900,000 vehicles, in |
| The German automaker said last Monday that | | | | Brazil by 32 percent to 581,000 and in |
| the sales figure represents an increase of | | | | central and eastern Europe by 20 percent to |
| eight percent from 2006 with all of | | | | 496,400 units, Volkswagen said. |
| Volkswagen's brands contributing to the | | | | |
| results. The brands include Audi, Skoda, | | | | According to an AFP release, Volkswagen's |
| Seat, Bentley, Lamborghini et Bugatti. | | | | sales in Germany, which still represent the |
| | | | company's biggest single market, dropped by |
| Group deliveries surged 7.9 percent in 2007 | | | | 4.8 percent for the entire group and by 9.0 |
| to 6.19 million cars and sport-utility | | | | percent for VW brand vehicles. |
| vehicles from 5.73 million in 2006, Chief | | | | |
| Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn said at | | | | Currently, the automaker is eyeing on a |
| the North American International Auto Show. | | | | potential plant site in North America to back |
| | | | its restructure program in the United States. |
| "They do have some momentum,'' said Rebecca | | | | To note, American sales dived 0.5 percent in |
| Lindland, a senior automotive analyst with | | | | 2007 to approximately over 530,000 vehicles. |
| Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, | | | | This year, Volkswagen expects more record |
| Massachusetts. "They have people looking at | | | | sales, said the Volkswagen boss. |
| Volkswagen again. They have a chance if they | | | | |
| stay true to their German heritage. VW is a | | | | The maker of Volkswagen oil pan intends to |
| brand that people want to root for. It has a | | | | snatch the crown of the Toyota Motor Corp, |
| certain charisma and appeal.'' | | | | which is closing in on General Motors Corp as |
| | | | the leading automaker worldwide. In support |
| "We have made a lot of mistakes in the | | | | of the said goal, the automaker plans to sell |
| U.S.,'' said Stefan Jacoby, Volkswagen | | | | eight million vehicles a year by 2012 and 11 |
| group's North American chief. "But we're a | | | | million by 2018. |
| part of American pop culture. We have a | | | | |