The German company’s net profits in 2007 amounted to 1.692 million euro, according to the organization’s annual report. Although the really surprising detail is the increase in percentage: in 2006 net earnings were 1343 million euro, which means that in 12 months Audi increased its profit margin by 26%. Return on investment increased from 14.2 to 18.6%.

Discussing the figures were Rupert Stadler (Audi Chairman) and Axel Srotbek (Board Member for Finance), according to whom Audi is not just beating a new company record for earnings, but is also cementing its place as a brand of automobile with one of the highest earnings.

The success is due to increased sales (more than 964,000 units, an increase of 6.4%), to new models such as the Q7, the A5, the TT and the R8, and the popularity of the brand in emerging markets other than the traditional European ones.

In addition the company is currently investing about two billion euro every year in the development of new products. This should guarantee the passage from the current 25 models to about 40 for 2015, a year in which Audi is ambitious to produce 1.5 million vehicles.

Stadler also took a jab at BMW, that has underway a large body of lay-offs. “In contrast to other companies, we have created new jobs (about 600 new engineers hired in 2007) and we are creating more in 2008: 800 new graduates and more than 700 apprentices will be hired in addition to our current 53,347 employees. The success of our brand is due mostly to them.”

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