BMW, Daimler Skip Summer Factory Break

BMW AG and Daimler AG plan to keep their car factories operating all summer worldwide to meet growing demand, Bloomberg News reports.

The only exceptions, according to the companies, will be facilities that have scheduled downtime for model changeovers. BMW's assembly plant in Spartanburg, S.C., will close for two weeks in July to prepare for the launch of the next-generation X5 crossover due later this year.

BMW and Daimler didn't indicate how much output they would gain by canceling summer breaks.

The companies say strong sales of BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Asia and the U.S. will enable them to set new sales records this year, despite the slumping European car market.