The BMW Group (BMW and MINI brands combined) reported an increase of 11 percent in year-to-date sales for 162,287 vehicles compared to 146,430 sold for the first seven months of 2002. July sales for the BMW Group were up 15 percent to 25,189 vehicles, making it the best July on record, according to the company. BMW Group recorded sales of 21,955 vehicles in the same month in 2002. BMW reported a 16 percent increase in July sales, with 22,105 vehicles compared to 19,089 in July 2002. Year-to-date, sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 3.5 percent to 141,673 compared to 136,825 vehicles sold in the same period last year. BMW's automobile sales were up 17.6 percent in July, with 18,559 cars reported versus 15,779 in the same month a year ago. Year-to-date, BMW automobile sales increased 8 percent to 120,912 in 2003 compared to 111,817 units reported for the first seven months of 2002. BMW reported 3,546 sales of its X5 Sports Activity Vehicles in July, an increase of 7 percent compared to the 3,310 sold in July 2002. Year-to-date, SAV sales were off 17 percent, with 20,761 vehicles reported compared to 25,008 sold in the same period last year. BMW reported July sales of 5,834 certified vehicles, up 3.3 percent over the 5,645 reported in the same month a year ago. Sales of Certified Pre-owned BMWs were up 14 percent year-to-date to 39,396 compared to 34,625 units in the same period one year ago. According to the company, demand for MINI brand automobiles remains strong and MINI USA reported July sales of 3,084 automobiles-a 7.6 percent jump from the 2,866 cars reported in July 2002. Sales of MINI automobiles for the first seven months of 2003 totaled 20,614. MINI went on sale in the U.S. on March 22, 2002 and last year, MINI USA reported sales of 9,605 cars through July 31, 2002. BMW of North America has been present in the United States since 1975. Since then, the BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales and financial service organizations for the BMW and MINI brands and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country BMW Manufacturing Corp. in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW car, 327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle, 148 BMW Motorcycle retailers, and 70 MINI dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at: www.bmwusa.com, www.bmwmotorradusa.com, www.miniusa.com, and www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com.