BEIJING - German luxury automaker BMW Group reported sales of more than 120,000 cars in the first three quarters this year on the Chinese mainland, accomplishing its expected annual target three months ahead of schedule.

The group said in a recent statement that it sold 121,826 units of BMW and MINI brand cars on the Chinese mainland between January and September this year.

If sales in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao are added, 131,891 units of BMW and MINI automobiles were purchased during the nine-month period, surging 96 percent year-on-year.

BMW-branded cars contributed to the vast majority of recorded sales - 114,408 units were sold in the first nine months, a year-on-year increase of 92.4 percent.

In September alone, 14,400 BMW cars were delivered to customers, marking a new Chinese mainland monthly record for the iconic Bavarian brand.

The BMW 7 Series saloon registered 128 percent growth in its first-three-quarter tally. About 18,300 units of the BMW flagship product were sold during this period.

The BMW 5 Series sedan sold nearly 28,000 units in the January-September period, up 45 percent over a year ago. The company just introduced an all-new 5 Series Li model, specially developed for the Chinese market in August.

Last June, the company began construction on a new facility at its joint venture with Brilliance Auto in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

The project is intended to expand production capacity and meet the growing demands of China's luxury car market.

An existing plant in Shenyang currently builds about 44,000 3 Series and 5 Series sedans annually .

BMW also plans to open an automotive finance company later this year with joint venture BMW Brilliance. The enterprise received government approval in September.

Around 7,418 MINI brand cars were purchased in China in the first three quarters, a 152.8 percent surge over the same period last year.

Later this month, the nation's first MINI 4S shop will be established in Shanghai. And more new models carrying the MINI badge will be introduced in China.

Other major luxury automakers also experienced sales gains in China. Mercedes-Benz delivered 101,350 vehicles in the first three quarters, surpassing its original annual goal of 100,000 units.

Analysts predict that China's luxury car market will continue robust growth in the next three to five years, due to stable development in the overall economy and increasing individual wealth.

By Han Tianyang

(China Daily 10/18/2010 page19)