German luxury car maker BMW has reported a 36.4% drop in 2009 net profit but also issued an upbeat 2010 forecast.
BMW said its 2009 profit had fallen to €210m as boss Norbert Reithofer updated provisional figures. A company statement added that sales were expected to increase this year by 50,000 vehicles to 1.3 million.
Although the global economic crisis sent unit sales plunging by 12.6% last year, BMW fared better than rival Daimler, because the maker of Mercedes Benz cars posted a 2009 loss of €2.6 billion.
'We are prudently optimistic for the current year,' Mr Reithofer said. In January, the group had already said that the value of sales slipped last year by 4.7% to €50.68 billion.
BMW's car division was hit hardest in 2009 as scrappage schemes worldwide pushed buyers towards smaller, cheaper models. The company is placing hopes in a new Series 5 saloon due to hit showrooms later this month, and expects stronger results in emerging markets like China.
