BMW sees worldwide car sales slip

BMW's sales dipped during the quarter

BMW has reported a decline in third-quarter sales as its profits failed to meet market expectations.

The German carmaker, which also owns the Mini and Rolls-Royce marques, sold 323,064 cars in the three months to 30 September, down 5.5% on a year earlier.

BMW's pre-tax profits increased 9.4% to 720m euros ($918m; £481m) from the same time last year, below the average analyst target of 742m euros.

Yet BMW said its full-year profits were still on target to beat 2005's levels.

The company reaffirmed its forecast to see 2006 pre-tax profits total 4bn euros.

BMW put the third-quarter decline in sales down to "model life-cycle factors", and said the fall was expected.

Its third-quarter revenues were down 1.4% to 11.6bn euros.