Audi, the top-of-the-range carmaker owned by German auto giant Volkswagen, said operating profit accelerated powerfully in the first half of the year and stuck to its full-year target. Operating profit rose 13.2 percent to 2.9 billion euros ($3.6 billion) compared to the same period in 2011, the firm said, registering sales of 25 billion euros, a gain of 16.2 percent. Audi said it delivered 733,237 cars in the first half of the year, 12.3 percent more than it had in the first six months of 2011. Chief financial officer Axel Strotbek said the firm was keeping to its goal of an operating profit at the same level as last year “as long as the economic environment does not darken further.” It said it aimed to deliver more than 1.4 million cars for the first time in the full year.
Audi steps on the accelerator
