BMW tops Australian sports-car sales charts for first time in nearly 15 years
01/06/2025 04:00 PM
Germany has returned to the top step of the sports-car sales podium in Australia – but the new Ford Mustang is predicted to retake the lead this year after its late arrival in 2024.
The BMW 2 Series has overtaken the Subaru BRZ and Ford Mustang to become Australia’s best-selling sports car in 2024, amid a sales slump for the former – and a changeover between old and new models for the latter.
It is the first BMW to lead the sports-car sales charts since 2011, when the 1 Series coupe and convertible – the predecessor to the 2 Series coupe and now-axed convertible – beat the Mercedes-Benz E-Class two-door to top honours.
But any celebrations in Germany are set to be short-lived, as the Ford Mustang – with a new model now in showrooms – is tipped to this year reclaim the title it held from 2016 to 2022.
MORE: Australian new-car sales in 2024: Annual record barely broken despite drop in demand
Data published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows 1565 examples of the Mexican-made BMW 2 Series two-door were reported as sold in 2024, up 34.5 per cent on the prior year but down on its record 2159 deliveries in 2016.
Last year’s top seller, the Subaru BRZ, posted 980 deliveries – down 37.7 per cent on the record 1573 examples reported in 2023.
Ford Mustang two-door sales tallied 1465 in 2024 – down 0.7 per cent for its worst performance since 2015, when 121 dealer and media demonstrator vehicles were delivered at the end of the year before its official launch in 2016.
MORE: VFACTS 2023 – Subaru BRZ topples Ford Mustang to lead sports-car sales in Australia
It is due to stock of the outgoing Mustang drying up last year, as production in the US ended mid-2023 – leaving just eight examples to be reported as sold in the first half of 2024.
In the final five months of the year – once deliveries of the new model commenced, 12 months behind schedule – Ford reported 1446 Mustang sales.
It is the car’s highest result over that period since 2018, when 6412 examples were delivered over the calendar year.
If the Ford Mustang continues its current pace, it will be on track for about 3500 sales this year, likely enough to see it climb back onto the top step of the podium, but about a third of 2017’s record 9165 sales.
MORE: 2025 Ford Mustang GT Convertible review
Sales in the sub-$80,000 sports-car category of the FCAI’s monthly reports were down 25.6 per cent in 2024, to 4229 deliveries.
All models in the class bar the Mazda MX-5 reported sales declines – 0.7 per cent for the Mustang, 51.8 per cent for the Mini Convertible (188 sales), 28.7 per cent for the Nissan Z (320 sales), 37.7 per cent for the BRZ, and 46.3 per cent for the related Toyota GR86 (614 sales).
It has come as no surprise to industry analysts, given the Mustang and Mini are between new and old models.
The Nissan Z, BRZ and GR86 have all entered new generations over the past three years, which have resulted in brief spikes in interest on launch.
Sports-car sales have what is dubbed a “half life”, where enthusiast buyers rush to snap up new models at the start of their life cycle, before interest wanes as many of the people who want the car already have one.
Meanwhile, the $80,000 to $200,000 category – home to the 2 Series, larger BMW 4 Series coupe/convertible, Mercedes-Benz CLE and Porsche 718 – was up 1.7 per cent, to 4804 deliveries.
The 2 Series is the first sports car not from the sub-$80,000 class to top the overall charts since another BMW, the 3 Series in 2008.
The top end of the sports-car market – the over $200,000 category – was up 18.6 per cent in 2024 to 1600 vehicles, led by record sales of the Porsche 911 (783, up 40.3 per cent), which accounts for one in two deliveries in the class.
Sports-car sales leaders over the past 25 years
- 1999 – Toyota Celica
- 2000 – Toyota Celica
- 2001 – Nissan 200SX
- 2002 – Holden Monaro
- 2003 – Holden Monaro
- 2004 – Holden Monaro
- 2005 – Holden Monaro
- 2006 – Holden Monaro
- 2007 – BMW 3 Series coupe/convertible as overall leader (or Volkswagen Eos in sub-$80,000 class)
- 2008 – BMW 3 Series coupe/convertible as overall leader (or Volkswagen Eos in sub-$80,000 class)
- 2009 – BMW 1 Series coupe/convertible
- 2010 – BMW 1 Series coupe/convertible
- 2011 – BMW 1 Series coupe/convertible
- 2012 – Hyundai Veloster
- 2013 – Toyota 86
- 2014 – Toyota 86
- 2015 – Toyota 86
- 2016 – Ford Mustang
- 2017 – Ford Mustang
- 2018 – Ford Mustang
- 2019 – Ford Mustang
- 2020 – Ford Mustang
- 2021 – Ford Mustang
- 2022 – Ford Mustang
- 2023 – Subaru BRZ
- 2024 – BMW 2 Series Coupe
Note: BMW 2 Series coupe/convertible and other less popular models were part of the sub-$80,000 class prior to 2024, but has been moved to the $80,000 to $200,000 bracket. The sales percentages described in this story account for the changes in classification.
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