Demand for premium cars has been at record highs over the past two years but what's been frustrating for manufacturers is the inability to produce enough cars to fill the dealership floors. The supply chain crisis caused by the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine has created many challenges for manufacturers.

Some brands have been able to overcome these obstacles and maintain record-breaking sales results, while others have clearly struggled to put their cars together. An example of this can be seen when we compare BMW's sales results for Q1 2022 in the USA next to Audi's figures during the same period.

Granted, BMW's entire catalog, including the likes of Mini, is a lot more conclusive than what Ingolstadt can offer. For the first quarter of this year, BMW has managed to further increase its footprint in the region with a 3.2% increase compared to the same period last year. The champions in its fleet were the locally built X models that take up a 57% market share of its combined results.

In total, the brand confirms a sale of 73,714 units. Mini's contribution to this result is modest at 6,876 units but reflects a 9.4% improvement over the previous year. Oddly, BMW has excluded the sales result of the immensely popular Rolls-Royce brand but considering that the luxury arm only delivers a handful of units in the region each month, it's unlikely to have a massive impact on its final result.

A total contrast to this is Audi who has suffered a 35% decline in sales during this period with its only successful car being the A3 Sedan, benefiting from a 2.9% increase over last year. The biggest victims in its lineup were the A6 suffering from a 59% decline and the Q8 being subjected to a 61% decrease in sales. In total, the brand confirms 35,505 units for the first three months of 2022.

Daniel Weissland, President of Audi of America confirms that the brand's poor result is partly due to the supply chain crisis. Looking forward, he says, "At Audi, we want to drive the electric and digital transformation. In the midst of global events and supply challenges, we are laser-focused on supporting our customers, delivering exceptional products, and pushing ahead to continue to shape the future of progressive premium mobility."