MAN SE 2012 profit plunges 35 pct on European trucks gloom

BERLIN Feb 8 (Reuters) - German truck maker MAN SE's operating profit plunged 35 percent last year as the prolonged economic weakness in core European markets eroded demand from freight companies and construction firms.

Operating profit at MAN, which also includes its diesel and turbines businesses, fell to 964 million euros ($1.29 billion) from 1.483 billion euros in 2011, the Munich-based company said on Friday.

Sales of heavy-duty trucks weighing 16 metric tons or more fell 9.4 percent across the 27-nation European Union to 214,086 vehicles last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. ($1 = 0.7469 euros) (Reporting by Andreas Cremer)