(November 8, 2011) WOLFSBURG, Germany — The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand started the fourth quarter with strong sales. A total of 4.24 million vehicles were sold from January to October 2011, representing an increase of 12.1 percent.

For October, the brand delivered 430,800 compared to October 2010 when 390,300 units were delivered.

“Deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand continue on a solid growth trajectory,” Christian Klingler, board member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group, commented in Wolfsburg today. “However, given the economic uncertainty we are keeping a very close eye on current developments in world markets.”

In North America, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand reported 404,900 deliveries during the first 10 months, a 22.2 percent increase over the prior year for the same period.

The brand sold 263,500 units in the United States during this period, a 23.8 percent gain. In the Asia / Pacific region, deliveries grew 14.1 percent. Volkswagen Passenger Cars increased vehicle deliveries by 11 percent to 1.45 million units in China, the largest single market. The South America region also grew deliveries in this period, reporting a rise of 4.7 percent.  There was a boost in deliveries in Argentina in particular, where the number of vehicles handed over to customers rose 30 percent to 126,700 units.

In Europe, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.44 million vehicles to customers from January to October. The brand regained ground in Central and Eastern Europe in particular, with deliveries in this region rising 46.5 percent.

There was substantial growth in Russia, where 91,000 (45,400; +100.4 percent) vehicles were sold. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), the company reported a 4.0 percent increase. In the home market of Germany, 498,400 (453,400; +9.9 percent) units were sold.