Mercedes posts record year in sales

©Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes’ success is not limited to Formula 1 as the German manufacturer enjoyed a record year in sales in 2016, pipping rivals BMW for the first time in 11 years on the luxury car market.

Mercedes-Benz achieved its sixth record year in a row, as passenger car sales exceeded two million units in one year for the first time in its long history. The German constructor sold 2,083,888 vehicles worldwide, which amounts to an 11.3 percent growth.

The three-pointed star was the best-selling premium constructor in many countries, including Germany, Italy, Portugal, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, the US and Canada.

Strong results in China further helped Mercedes log a 26.6% growth in Asia, while also registering a double-digit increase in sales in Europe (12.4%).

Sales of cars from Mercedes’ AMG performance division skyrocketed 44.1% in 2016 to reach around 100,000 units. And with AMG celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017 with special edition models, the trend is likely to continue this year.

These record sales came as Mercedes continued to dominate F1 with a third consecutive championship double and 19 wins out of 21 grand prix weekends in 2016.

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