Audi reached a new milestone on Wednesday with the sale of its one millionth vehicle in China. The car was a metallic blue Q5 crossover, which was handed over to a customer from Changchun. The German company said of the 1 million cars delivered to Chinese customers, 950,000 were produced in Changchun and the other 50,000 imported.
"This record is yet another milestone in the history of Audi in China," remarked Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG. "We were the first premium brand in China 22 years ago and have been the unrivaled market leader in this segment ever since – a success story we're extremely proud of."
As demand in China for luxury cars continues to boom, Audi believes it can reach the next million there by 2014.
"Over the entire year, we will deliver well over 200,000 cars to customers in China," stated Dr. Dietmar Voggenreiter, President of Audi China. "And we have already set our sights firmly on the next sales target: We intend to reach the second million within the next three years."
The history of the brand from Ingolstadt in China began in 1988 with a license agreement between Audi and FAW covering the assembly of the Audi 100 with imported parts kits. In 1995, the VW Group and FAW formed a new joint venture resulting in the local production of the Audi 200 a year later. In Changchun today, the company with the four-rings produces the long-wheelbase A6L and A4L and, since 2009, the Q5 for the Chinese market.
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