Record Sales for German Car Makers in U.S.

German car makers sold a record 915 000 cars in the U.S. in 2002, exceeding last year's 3.8 percent market share. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi proved the most successful, while Volkswagen and Porsche sales dropped. The German car industry now expects a market share of up to 6.5 percent in the U.S., despite increasing competition. According to Kunibert Schmidt, spokesman of the German Car Association, German car makers were especially successful in selling luxury cars and reaching new markets with new models.