Big slump in 2007 German car sales

New car sales in Germany slumped 9 per cent in 2007 to between 3.16 and 3.17 million vehicles – the lowest since German unification, according to figures released Thursday. But the decline in domestic demand was more than made up for by increased sales internationally, the German Automobile Industry Federation VDA said.

Exports rose 10 per cent to 4.3 million units for the fifth annual record in a row, VDA president Matthias Wissmann said at the federation's annual press conference.

Car exports to Britain rose 48 per cent, while sales to Russia nearly doubled and exports to China increased by more than one-third compared with 2006, Wissmann said.

"With sales on nearly 1 million vehicles, China has become the most important market for German manufacturers," the VDA chief said.