FRANKFURT: Volkswagen, said on Friday it expects to post record sales again this year, but forecast 2010 would be "extremely difficult" as cash-for-clunkers bonus schemes wound down worldwide.

The biggest European automaker said sales of it nine automotive brands which include Audi, Seat and Skoda came to 531,000 vehicles last month, an increase of 19.1 percent from November 2008.

Deliveries were 4.7 percent lower than in October however, a statement added.

In the 11 months from January to November, sales gained two percent on an annual basis to 5.85 million vehicles, which allowed VW to say it expected a "slight rise in full-year deliveries" from the record 6.2 million in 2008.

Investors were cheered by the news and VW shares gained 1.80 percent to 82.15 euros in midday Frankfurt trading, while the German DAX index was 1.12 percent higher overall.

But VW sales director Detlef Wittig was also quoted as saying that "the coming year will be extremely difficult."

VW expected sales to continue rising in its biggest market, China, but also forees "a marked decline on theEuropean market in particular," where sales have been boosted this year by state premiums to drivers who scrapped old cars.

"We cannot give the all-clear yet," Wittig said.