C Class (R) and E Class (2-R) new cars are parked at a car dealership of Mercedes-Benz in Guangzhou. (picture alliance/dpa)
Germany's three main luxury carmakers posted declines in sales in excess of 20 percent for the second quarter on Tuesday and Wednesday, driven by sharp falls in US and European markets resulting from the novel coronavirus pandemic.
By contrast, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi all saw a strong rise in sales in China.
Daimler said it had delivered 457,711 Mercedes cars worldwide, down 20.2 percent on the year before, while BMW sold 430,397 units, equivalent to a drop of 23.2 percent.
When BMW's subsidiaries Mini and Rolls-Royce are taken into account, the company was slightly ahead of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Audi reported a fall of 22.8 percent for sales of 354,232 cars.
In China, Mercedes-Benz increased sales by 21.6 percent, BMW - including Mini - by 17.1 percent, and Audi by 23.5 percent.
"Mercedes-Benz's best second quarter in China demonstrates the impressive speed with which demand is currently recovering in our largest market," sales head Britta Seeger said.
Audi reported its best June ever in China and predicted an increase over the whole year.
The three carmakers posted the sharpest falls in Europe, with figures in the United States only marginally better.
However, prospects were improving, with all three recording better figures in June.
Pointing to the strong figures in China, Daimler chief executive Ola Kaellenius said: "We are cautiously optimistic that other markets will follow step by step."
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