Year-to-date sales of MINI automobiles have surpassed the 36,036 reported for the entire calendar year 2004. For the first eleven months of 2005, MINI USA reported sales of 38,384 cars, compared to 32,222 cars in the same period a year ago, an increase of 19 percent. The division also reported monthly sales of 3,171 cars compared to 3,363 cars sold in November of 2004, a decrease of 6 percent.
MINI USA Press
typ-o alert. second 2004 should be 2005 (maybe). Go MINI!!!
That is an official MINI USA typo right there. Well anyway it’s now fixed.
DON’T USE A 19%!!! Your supercharger will blow up and it WILL NOT BE COVERED!!!
Oh…wait….my bad…. 🙂
Those numbers are interesting in comparison to the latest sales figures for SUVs. For example, aWashington Post article today said sales of the Ford Explorer were down to “only” 12,000 units for the month of November – from a high of nearly 30,000 a month in 2002.
I’m glad to see that people are moving back to smaller automobiles, MINI or otherwise.
Indimini pointed out a very encouraging fact(unless one has stock in GM, Ford etc)– that’s roughly 35% decline in rolling road blocks sold in one month!
Also interesting is the decrease in MINI sales (only some 192) for November. The MINIUSA sales figures are especially interesting to me as I remember MINI saying they were planning to limit US sales to no more than 20,000 per year. This was said to a group of us that attended their press conference in Dec of 2000 in Detroit, before the introduction of the MINI at the NAIAS. If I remember correctly they stated that this “limit” was to keep the product demand up. Hmmm!
I don’t get excited to see sales grow. It kills the exclusivity. Personally, I don’t want to see a MINI on every block in my neighborhood. Value is directly related to supply and demand. I have already seen a downturn in the resale value of MCS models. I remeber purchasing my 2000 Nissan XTerra (4×4 of the year, BTW)back in the fall of 1999 when they were super exclusive (for a mass produced vehicle)and less than 2 years later everybody was driving one. It killed the fun factor a little and certainly drove resale values into the ground. And by the way, what does everyone have against SUVs? Is it impossible to love small cars and big trucks all at once? Happy Holidays!
<blockquote>I don’t get excited to see sales grow. It kills the exclusivity</blockquote>
If you want exclusivity, buy a Veyron or an Enzo. I couldn’t be happier to see a MINI in every driveway on my block.