(April 11, 2012) WOLFSBURG, Germany — The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand reported significant growth in vehicle deliveries during the first three months of 2012, handing over 1.36  million vehicles for the first time ever in the first quarter of a year.

The brand also posted a new delivery record of 536,600 units for the month of March, up 14.6 percent from 2011 — thus handing over more than half a million vehicles to customers in a single month for the first time.

"Deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand increased yet further in March on the back of an already high level. While the situation on the markets in Europe remains difficult, we reported significant growth in North America and Asia," Christian Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, commented in Wolfsburg on Wednesday.

Despite the present situation on markets in Southern Europe, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand grew deliveries on the overall European market in the first quarter to 441,800, up 5.1 percent. While deliveries in Western Europe (excluding Germany) dropped slightly to 232,600 (down 3.7 percent), deliveries in Central and Eastern Europe rose by a substantial 61.8 percent to 60,200 vehicles.

The already high level of deliveries in Russia continued to develop well, with the number of vehicles handed over to customers doubling to 35,800 (up from 16,800 or113.1 percent).

First-quarter deliveries also developed very well on the American continent. Volkswagen Passenger Cars increased deliveries in the North America region by 27.6 percent to 135,700 vehicles, of which 94,400 models were handed over to new owners in the United States, a 40.8 percent increase over last year. In the South America region, deliveries rose by 3.9 percent to 190,400 units.