Global car rental group Sixt reported a post-tax profit of €23m between July and September 2009, up 8.6% on the same period last year.
The company said it was profiting from "cautious rental fleet planning", despite a fall in rental revenue.
Sixt added 96,400 vehicles to its rental and leasing fleet in the first nine months of 2009, spending €2.2 bn.
The figure is 20% below the previous year, when 120,900 cars were added.
Total rental revenue in Q3 fell 3% to €215.3m, compared to €208.9m in the third quarter of 2008.
Erich Sixt, Sixt's chairman of the managing board, said: "The satisfactory demand in the first nine months shows that the need for mobility among companies and private individuals is not declining - even in an economic crisis."
Sixt said the demand in both its vehicle rental and leasing business units had remained stable, dspite the economic environment.
Mr Sixt said he was confident the company would achieve its earnings target for the full year.
www.sixt.co.uk