Berlin  - The booming car markets of China and Brazil helped to push German auto maker Volkswagen AG's sales to an all-time high during the first quarter of 2008 raising the prospects of a new record sales year for the group.

Europe's biggest carmaker said it delivered 1.58 million autos worldwide during the first three months of the year, which represented a rise of 7 per cent over the same period last year.

Releasing the data, VW described the first quarter as the most successful in the company's history.

The first-quarter increase followed a surge of about 33 per cent in sales to China and almost a 25 per cent jump in Brazil. (dpa)