BMW claims record sales for 2012

"One of our goals for 2012 was to increase unit sales and achieve a new deliveries record. With 1.8m vehicles sold, we've done that," Eichiner told the Die Welt.

Earlier this month, Eichiner had said that BMW was "on target" for reaching a new sales record following buoyant sales in November when the company said worldwide sales rose by about 20% or more than 170,000 vehicles.

In the 11 months to November, BMW's vehicle sales reached about 1.66m, an increase of 10% compared with the same period last year.

The car manufacturer's aim was to lift sales again next year, Eichiner told Die Welt.

"The big question is whether the markets will allow it," he said, cautioning that BMW would see "stagnation at best" in Europe.

"The United States, on the other hand, will offer recovery opportunities, with the overall market there projected to grow by 5.0% and the premium segment by even more," Eichiner said.

"In addition, we've built up a strong position in medium-sized markets such as Australia, Russia, Korea and Turkey. And these markets are continuing to grow," he added.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge