The Munich-based company said that worldwide sales of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce cars rose 14.2 percent to 1.67 million last year as it sold more X3 sport utility vehicles, 5 Series models and MINIs. At the same time BMW posted record sales for 2011 and forecast that a boom in luxury cars would keep it ahead of rivals this year. The company, which was purchased by BMW in 1998, recently unveiled plans to expand its factory at Goodwood in West Sussex, near London to meet strong global demand. Sales rose 47 percent in the Asia Pacific region, 17 percent in North America and 23 percent in the Middle East. Strongest demand was from China and the United States. Its previous record of 3,347 cars was set in 1978, when Rolls Royce and Bentley were both under the same ownership. That was up from 2,711 in the previous year and was the highest-ever output in the company’s 107-year history. For the moment the military is still insisting next week’s elections will go ahead, perhaps in the hope such a promise will calm the spreading violence.Rolls-Royce, the British-based luxury carmaker, which is owned by Germany’s BMW, has announced production rose by 31 percent last year and it sold 3,538 vehicles.
That this leads to a spiral of violence between the people and the army, which is not used to managing these kinds of uprisings, like in a democracy, or responding to the population’s demands,’‘ Philppe Hensmans from Amnesty International said. But now we can see things are getting worse, that the protests are getting more violent. ‘‘Up until recently we saw that the reaction of the population was relatively peaceful. But some observers, say the army’s poor management in handing over power doesn’t bode well. In a sense creating a state within a state, which is not acceptable.’‘ Many protesters are calling for Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak’s long time General, and now head of Egypts military council, to go. The Military Council wants to pass a law guaranteeing the army’s power in Egypt. Middle East and Egypt expert Bichara Khader said: ‘‘The policy of repression continued after the fall of Mubarak. While back then the fall of President Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian army’s temporary take over was widely greeted, some say the latest violence stems from a lack of perceived change from the old regime.
Only days before Egypt is due to hold elections, the country looks to have descended into its biggest crisis since February.
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