Audi sets new half-year sales record

German car producer Audi achieved its best first half-year sales in the company's history, selling 869,350 automobiles, the firm said Monday in a statement.

The car manufacturer recorded sales growth of 11.4 percent year-on-year. In June alone, the firm delivered around 155,450 cars worldwide, exceeding the figure in the same period last year by 10.8 percent, according to the statement.

"In the first half of this year, we have already delivered more cars than in the whole of 2005," said Luca de Meo, member of the board of management for sales.

"We're also optimistic for the upcoming months and will carry forward the momentum from the first half of the year," he continued.

In the first half of the year, 268,666 customers in China chose the "four rings" brand, marking record sales figures in the Chinese market with an increase of 17.8 percent year-on-year.