German automaker Audi AG said Thursday it sold a record of more than 1 million vehicles globally in 2008, up 4.3 percent from the previous year despite the global financial crisis and a tough U.S. market.

Ingolstadt-based Audi, part of Volkswagen AG, said it sold 1,003,400 vehicles worldwide in the previous year, including some 82,800 in December — a 17.4 percent increase on November figures.

The company attributed that jump to a dozen new models, including a new version of its most popular A4 sedan.

"We will build on this strength in what is set to be a difficult 2009," Audi chief Rupert Stadler said in a statement.

On the year, the company saw increased demand in Europe and Asia. But the effects of the global financial crisis were keenly felt in the United States where 2008 saw an overall 6.1 percent drop in sales on the year, including nearly 10 percent in December to only 7,712 vehicles.