Letter to shareholders for the financial year 2002

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Berenice Warren
5 years ago
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1 Letter to shareholders for the financial year 2002

2 Dear Shareholders, The financial year 2002 has again been a very successful one for the BMW Group. Despite the difficult worldwide economic situation, the BMW Group was able to continue its dynamic growth and set new records in terms of sales volume, revenues and earnings. For the first time, the Group sold more than one million BMW and MINI motor cars. In total, the BMW Group sold 1,057,344 units, 16.7% more than in the previous year. We were also able to increase motorcycle sales by 9.3% to 92,599 units, which means that the previous year s volume was surpassed for the tenth successive year. The Financial Services segment also kept up the previous years successful performance and is still on growth course. Revenues increased again With total revenues of euro 42,282 million in 2002, the BMW Group achieved growth of 9.9% and thus a new record figure. Revenues by segment Change (in accordance with IAS) in euro million in% Automobiles 38,179 33, Motorcycles 1,130 1, Financial Services 8,213 7, Reconciliations 5,240 3, our tasks was preparing to take over the Rolls-Royce brand name. Accordingly, we were able to deliver the first Rolls-Royce Phantom to a customer on 1January 2003 in line with plan. The BMW Group has thus taken another important step towards accomplishing its premium brand strategy. This strategy, which was pursued consistently, enabled the BMW Group to perform well in 2002 despite the adverse worldwide economic climate. As previously announced, the BMW Group was able to improve earnings yet again in 2002 on the back of this dynamic sales performance, thus surpassing the previous year s record results. More than 5,000 new jobs created The challenges posed by the BMW Group product and market offensive are reflected by the size of the workforce which increased in 2002, in particular in development, production and sales. As at 31 December 2002, the BMW Group had a worldwide workforce of 101,395 employees. After adjusting for disposals and transfers of group companies, the equivalent headcount at the end of 2001 was 96,263 employees. The BMW Group therefore created 5,132 new jobs in 2002, an increase of 5.3%. Approximately three-quarters of the BMW Group workforce are employed in Germany. The headcount in Germany rose to 76,143, an increase of 4.5%. BMW Group 42,282 38, Workforce of the BMW Group Change at the end of the year in% Important milestones achieved The BMW Group achieved important milestones during the fiscal year 2002, including the launch of the new BMW 7 Series in the United Kingdom and in other markets outside Europe and the introduction of the BMW Z4 Roadster in the USA. The MINI s introduction to the worldwide markets continued with more than144,000 MINI brand cars sold during the year, a performance which went beyond our expectations and contributed significantly to the successful development of the BMW Group. In addition, the foundation was laid in 2002 for the future expansion of our product range. One of BMW Group 101,395 97, adjusted for disposals and transfers 101,395 96, The BMW Group recruited another 370 apprentices in 2002 and the total number of apprentices went up by 9.7%. At present, almost 4,200 young people are learning a profession with the BMW Group. In conjunction with the BMW Group product and market offensive and related growth targets, a significant number of qualified employees will need 2

3 to be recruited in 2003, in particular for the BMW manufacturing plant in Leipzig. More than 500 employees were recruited for this location in At present, they are being trained at other BMW Group locations for their new tasks. Automobile markets in 2002 Following the market downturn in 2001, global economic activity picked up in 2002, even though the acceleration generally expected for the second half of the year did not materialise. In addition, falls in equity prices on the stock markets and geopolitical tensions, including the related threat to oil prices, had an increasingly negative impact on the economy. The weak state of the global economy also influenced the development of the majority of the world s automobile markets. The overall automobile market in the USA in 2002 declined again slightly, albeit from a high level. Demand fell by approximately 2% to 16.8 million units. The decline primarily affected US car manufacturers whereas sales of imported vehicles grew by 7%. In Western Europe, 14.4 million new cars were registered in 2002, almost 3% below the previous year s figure. With the exception of the United Kingdom (which saw growth of approximately 4%) and some of the Scandinavian countries, almost all the markets experienced a downturn. In Germany, some 3.25 million new vehicles were registered in 2002, a 3% drop against the previous year. New registrations in France fell by almost 5% and in Italy by almost 6%. New registrations in Brazil, the most important of the South American markets, fell by around 5%. Following on from a sharp decrease in 2001, new registrations in Argentina went down in 2002 by more than a half in the wake of the severe economic crisis. Based on early estimates, Japan will decline by around 2% in new car registrations in By contrast, it appears that China will record an aboveaverage increase in registrations. The Chinese market for cars rose by more than 50% in 2002 and surpassed the one million mark for the first time. BMW Group achieves strong growth worldwide Worldwide demand for the cars of the BMW Group in 2002 outpaced demand in the market as a whole and in the premium segments. We were able to increase our market share again in nearly all of the main automobile markets. Germany remained the market with the largest sales volume, with 235,149 BMW cars and 23,021 MINI cars delivered to customers in In total, the sales volume of the BMW Group in Germany was 258,170 units, an increase of 5.0% compared to the previous year. Once again, the BMW Group was able to perform well within an overall declining market. Sales of the BMW Group in other Western European countries climbed to 368,878 units, an increase of 19.7% compared to the previous year. This comprises 291,041 BMW cars and 77,837 MINI cars. Growth was achieved in all of the major markets and was attributable, in particular, to the success of the MINI brand. The United Kingdom saw a very strong performance with an increase of 33.0% to 120,880 units, including 34,715 MINI cars. Italy (+28.4%), Spain (+22.8%) and France (+16.3%) also contributed strongly to the excellent sales performance. The BMW Group was largely unaffected by the mainly negative trends in East European countries and was able to achieve satisfying growth rates. In order to take full advantage of the market potential in Poland, the BMW Group established its own sales company in Warsaw in The BMW Group has completed its most successful year ever in the North American market. We sold a total of 256,622 vehicles in the USA, comprising 232,032 BMW cars and 24,590 MINI cars. This represents an increase of 20.4%. There was also extremely strong demand in 2002 for BMW Group cars in Asia and in the Pacific region. The highest sales growth rate was achieved in South Korea (+87.7%) where the newly launched BMW 7 Series was in great demand. The BMW Group achieved a 26.3% sales volume increase in Japan which was attributable, above all, to the strong performance of the MINI brand. The BMW Group continued to expand in 3

4 China, with the sales volume growing by 41.4% during the year. BMW brand well above previous year s record sales volume In 2002, a total of 913,225 BMW cars were delivered to customers, 3.7% more than in the previous year. Sales of the BMW 3 Series, with its five versions, rose to 561,249 units, a 5.1% increase compared to the previous year. This is the highest volume ever achieved in a single year. At the end of June 2002, the last BMW Z3 Roadster rolled off the production line at the Spartanburg plant. During the seven years of production, almost 300,000 of these vehicles were delivered to customers. The new BMW Z4 was launched on the American market in autumn The other markets will follow in spring With 172,323 vehicles sold, the sales volume of the BMW 5 Series was only 11.1% below the previous year, an above-average performance in relation to the product life cycle. Particular mention should be given to the sales performance in the USA where the BMW 5 Series still managed to achieve growth of 2.1% in Sales of the BMW X5 also performed very well. More than 100,000 of these sports activity vehicles were sold for the first-time in a single year, representing an increase of 22% over the previous year. A total of 50,961 new BMW 7 Series cars were sold during the first year after the model change, some 4% above the level achieved by the predecessor model in its first full year of production. In addition, 2,543 units of the predecessor model were sold in 2002, so that total sales were 53,504 units. We expect to see further momentum in sales demand following the introduction of the diesel versions in autumn 2002 and the 12-cylinder engine at the end of During 2002, a total of 1,106 BMW Z8 cars, which are hand-finished at the BMW plant in Munich, were delivered to customers. MINI launched successfully on worldwide markets The BMW Group has proven with the MINI brand that there is a place for a premium car in the small car sector. In 2002, we sold 144,119 MINI cars worldwide, well in excess of our expectations. The MINI is now available on more than 60 markets around the world. The development in North America is particularly pleasing. After the successful launch in 2002, the USA has already become the second most important sales market for the MINI brand. In the leadup to the Detroit Auto Show this year, the MINI Cooper won the North American Car of the Year Award The only market where we were able to sell more MINI cars was the United Kingdom, the home of the MINI, where 34,715 units were delivered to customers. The clear trend with the MINI is towards highervalue equipment and to more powerful engine versions. The MINI Cooper leads the sales-mix with a share of approximately 56% of MINI sales, followed by the MINI One with nearly 26% and the MINI Cooper S with more than 18%, whereby the latter did not become available until the middle of the year. First Rolls-Royce Phantom delivered to customer Since 1January 2003 the BMW Group has taken over the brand responsibility for Rolls-Royce. We have used the past four years to develop a completely new Rolls-Royce, now ready for series production. In 2002, we also constructed completely new manufacturing facilities and established the head quarters of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited in Goodwood in the south of England. With the Rolls-Royce Phantom, we are continuing a longstanding tradition of high quality at the very top-end of the range. From the beginning, Rolls- Royce has stood for advanced and uncompromising technical solutions and for unparalleled standards in quality, finishing and choice of materials. With the Rolls-Royce Phantom, we have created a car once again satisfying these aspirations in all respects. 4

5 Automobile production increased again The BMW Group increased automobile production by 15.2% to 1,090,258 units. This includes 930,221 BMW cars (+2.9%) manufactured in the plants in Munich, Dingolfing, Regensburg, Spartanburg and Rosslyn as well as at the BMW Group assembly plants. In addition, 160,037 MINI cars were manufactured at the Oxford plant where the full range of flexible work-time models was used during the first full year of production in order to meet the strong demand. The first-rate quality of the BMW Group production network was confirmed once again in June 2002 by the result of the J.D.Power and Associates study. The award for the best car plant amongst European manufacturers, the Plant Award in Gold, went to the BMW plant in Rosslyn, South Africa. In addition, the Munich plant was awarded the Silver Plant Award, following on from the gold award it had already won in With the construction of new manufacturing facilities in Goodwood, we have created a manufacturing plant where, after the initial start-up phase, more than 1,000 Rolls-Royce limousines per year can be manufactured by hand. Construction work began at the start of May 2002 for the new BMW plant in Leipzig where series production will start in spring Supported by the enormous commitment of our employees, we will meet the high demand for our products in 2003 though further efficiency improvements and targeted expansion of production capacities.the focal point has been and will continue to be measures for new product start-ups in 2003 which will once again put the operative capabilities of the production network to the test. Capital expenditure increased significantly In 2002, the BMW Group invested euro 3,185 million in property, plant and equipment and intangible assets. In addition, euro 858 million of expenditure for research and development have been recognised as assets in accordance with IAS, so that total capital expenditure amounted to euro 4,043 million. This 15.0% increase compared to the previous year reflects the fact that the BMW Group is now in the decisive phase of its product and market offen- sive. With the substantial investments made in 2002 and 2003 in particular, we are establishing the foundation for the success of the BMW Group in the coming years. Above all, extensive measures have been taken to prepare the launch of new models in order to ensure that the BMW Group maintains its technological and innovative leadership. In addition, investment is necessary to expand production capacity and strengthen the BMW Group presence in the markets. Capital expenditure of the Change BMW Group (including in% Research and Development costs recognised as assets for IAS purposes) in euro million Automobiles and Motorcycles segments 3,981 3, Financial Services Reconciliations BMW Group 4,043 3, Cooperation with partners expanded As well as expanding the BMW Group s own production network, the BMW Group is also making better use of external resources by linking up with business partners. As a result we are committed to working in project-related partnerships. In 2002, for example, agreement was reached with PSA Peugeot Citroën for the development of a small petrol engine which will be used in future versions of the MINI. Other partnerships, for instance with Toyota (diesel engines for the MINI) and Magna Steyr in Graz (BMW X3), are already being implemented. BMW Motorcycles with tenth sales record in a row The Motorcycles Segment increased its sales volume in 2002 by 8.1% and thus outperformed the previous year s record for the tenth year in succession. Overall, 103,020 units were sold, comprising 92,599 BMW motorcycles and 10,421 BMW C1. Motorcycle sales in Italy (+27.2%) and Spain (+18.4%) contributed particularly to this positive 5

6 development. High growth rates were also achieved by the BMW Group outside Europe despite some contractions in the markets. The top-selling models in 2002 were those with boxer engines, particularly, once again, the R1150 GS of which 18,085 units were delivered to customers (including the Adventure version). Next came the R1150 RT with 15,559 units and the single cylinder F 650 GS (including the Dakar version) which was delivered to 13,212 customers. Motorcycle production at the Berlin plant rose to 93,010 units, a 2.8% increase against the previous year. In addition, a further 4,497 BMW C1 were manufactured by our Italian production partner, Bertone, before production was halted at the end of October. Financial Services segment sustains growth In 2002, a total of 1,382,148 new financing contracts were signed by the Financial Services segment, an increase of 14.3% compared to the previous year. Approximately 46% of these related to customer business and around 54% to dealer financing. Business growth was generated both in terms of the number of new vehicles financed and leased as well as the financing of used vehicles. One in three of all new cars sold worldwide by the BMW Group were financed by the Financial Services segment; the proportion of new BMW and MINI cars financed and leased by BMW Financial Services was 36.1%. The highest rate for financing new sales was achieved in the North American market (44.9%), followed by South East Asia (37.5%) and Europe (31.9%). High profile participation at the world summit in Johannesburg The BMW Group has a global social responsibility which goes beyond production and products. At the UNO World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg held in 2002, under the motto Sustainability, it can be done, the BMW Group illustrated how businesses can put social, ecological and economic responsibility into practice. The specially-constructed BMW Group Earth- Lounge served as a forum for dialogue with politicians, high-ranking international experts and more than 15,000 visitors. Successful motorsport season in 2002 In its third year of participation, BMW has established itself as the second force in the Formula 1 Championship. BMW WilliamsF1 was the most reliable team no other team completed as many laps. The BMW V10 engine set new standards, achieving 19,050 revolutions per minute and a performance of almost 900 horsepower. Further significant activities of BMW Motorsport were providing support for customer teams at European Touring Car Championship races and the successful debut season of the Formula BMW racing car which set technical standards in the promotion of young talent. BMW stock in 2002 After falls in the DAX in 2000 and 2001, the year 2002 also failed to meet investor hopes. For the first time in its history, the DAX finished with a loss for three years in succession. Not a single DAX enterprise was able to achieve a share price gain in The DAX closed at 30 December 2002 at 2, points, 43.9% below its closing level at 28 December Automobile stocks, represented by the CDAX Automobile Index, were unable to escape this general trend. Thanks to good company results and improved prospects for the US sales market, the CDAX Automobile Index performed better than the DAX. The automobile sector index closed on 30 December 2002 at points which was just above the year s low (recorded on the previous day) and 30.7% below the closing level at the end of the previous year. In 2002, the BMW common stock performed better than both the DAX and the CDAX Automobile Index, but nevertheless suffered losses in the course of the year. After the announcement of strong sales and earnings figures for the first half of 2002, the stock showed a small gain over the 2001 closing price. During the second half of 2002, however, the price of the BMW common stock fell as a result of the weakening US dollar and general worries about the state of the world economy. 6

7 Change in value of BMW AG stock versus stock indices (Index: 2 January 2002 = 100) JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC BMW common stock CDAX Automobiles DAX After a new all-time high of euro was reached on 17 May, the BMW common stock closed on 30 December 2002 at euro which was just above the year s low and 26.8% below the closing level at the end of Overall market likely to perform inconsistently again in 2003 Given the current tense global political situation and the current trends on the capital markets, it is difficult to anticipate whether the world economy will experience a perceptible and sustainable recovery. We believe that a dynamic change will not occur until the second half of the year at the earliest. This forecast is, however, subject to a high degree of uncertainty and is based on a political solution being found to the Iraq crisis. We are working on the basis that the USA will see a modest economic upswing in 2003 which should then accelerate in the course of the year. We expect a similar development in Western Europe, but with less growth momentum. The prospects for South East Asia are generally favourable. It is uncertain, however, to what extent the slow economic recovery in the USA and Europe will curb the upswing in this region. We anticipate that Japan will see weak economic growth in The economic situation in Latin America is likely to remain tense in view of the on-going crises there. Against this background, the automobile markets will not perform consistently in In line with the general expectations of the sector, we believe that premium segments will again do better than mass volume segments. BMW Group in 2003 The BMW Group forecasts that it will continue to perform successfully in Our strategy is to generate growth of our established model ranges on a long-term basis and, at the same time, expand into new markets and with new models. We intend to increase the sales volume of the BMW Group to approximately 1.4 million cars a year by 2008 by significantly expanding the product range and strengthening the BMW Group market presence. Based on our forecasts, revenues will grow on a similar scale during the same period and should surpass the euro 50 billion mark in The product year 2003 will be one of the most important in the history of the BMW Group. We will launch more new products in 2003 than in any previous year. The prelude to this was provided at the beginning of the year by the new Rolls-Royce Phantom. With the Rolls-Royce brand, we have widened the product range of the BMW Group in the luxury segment and thus completed the expansion of our brand portfolio. 7

8 In 2003, we will launch a diesel version of the MINI on the European markets further increasing our sales potential. In terms of the BMW brand, the new BMW 5 Series will be launched in In addition, the BMW Z4 will be introduced in Europe and the three up-dated BMW 3 Series versions will be launched during the first quarter of Furthermore, we will present two new models towards the year end, the BMW X3 and the BMW 6 Series coupé. The new BMW 5 Series Touring version, the BMW 6 Series convertible and the new BMW 1 Series will follow in 2004 along with other products. By expanding our product range so significantly, we are laying the foundation for the continuing success of the BMW Group. In doing this, we are using the strength of our core business to invest more in the implementation of our product and market offensive. As usual, we will finance capital expenditure, even during this phase of expansion, out of cash flow. In 2003, we will push ahead decisively with the BMW Group product and market offensive and thus, once again, demonstrate the underlying strength of the BMW Group. Yours sincerely, Dr. Helmut Panke Chairman of the Board of Management Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Annual General Meeting The 83rd Annual General Meeting of BMW AG will be held on Thursday, 15 May 2003, at 10:00 am at the Olympiahalle in the Munich Olympiapark. Address Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft D Munich Telephone +49 (0) Fax +49 (0) Contacts Corporate Communications Telephone +49 (0) Fax +49 (0) presse@bmwgroup.com Investor Relations Telephone +49 (0) (0) Fax +49 (0) ir@bmwgroup.com The BMW Group in the Internet Further information on the BMW Group is available over the Internet at the address Information about the brands of the BMW Group can be found at and Munich, January

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