Section: Sales
Nov 10th, 2008
BMW Release: Since the production of the current MINI Convertible ended in August, the final units are gradually being removed from stock. Nonetheless during the past month 498 MINI Convertibles were still delivered to customers (prev..yr.: 2,147 / -76.8%). However, fans of the MINI Convertible will have to wait for the new model to be launched in the first half of 2009. Due to this temporary interruption in the MINI model programme, deliveries of the brand were 3.4% lower in October than for the same month last year. In the month under review, MINI delivered a total of 17,385 vehicles worldwide (prev.yr.: 17,989).
Overall MINI recorded a decrease of 12.0% (2,233 vehicles / prev.yr.: 2,538) in the first three quarters of 2008.
Nov 6th, 2008
BMW AG has decided to take the step of completely stopping production at MINI’s Oxford plant from December 7th through January 5th. This is a two week increase from the usual time off for the holiday’s that plant workers have enjoyed.. Furthermore the BBC is reporting that MINI sales are down 40% in the UK for October (compared to a year ago) and the entire UK car industry is reeling in the wake of the current economic slow-down. continued →
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Nov 5th, 2008
Yesterday BMW Chairman of the Board Dr. Norbert Reithofer gave a speech that outlined some of steps BMW AG will be taking to see itself through the current economic situation. It talks broadly about BMW and MINI but also gives a few specific examples of what the companies will be focusing on in the years ahead. For MINI fans the most notable is the mention of the “i” project and the MINI E. Also seen here is the importance of the R60 MINI Crossover in BMW”s overall financial health.
You can read the entire speech below.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Once again: I would like to welcome you to our telephone conference. The international financial crisis has gained further momentum in the third quarter and has now hit the real economy with full force.However, what is important:
The BMW Group is prepared to meet these challenges head on. The BMW Group remains a strong performing company with a solid foundation. continued →
Nov 4th, 2008
Press Release: MINI USA reported October sales of 5,272 automobiles, up 56.4 percent from the 3,370 cars sold in October 2007. Year-to-date, the division reported sales of 45,966 automobiles, an increase of 30.2 percent, compared to the 35,306 cars reported in the first ten months of 2007.
continued →
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Oct 13th, 2008
MINI Press Release: Global deliveries of MINI brand vehicles climbed 12.1% to reach a total of 184,915 vehicles (prev.yr.: 164,891) for the year to the end of September. Most notably, the MINI Clubman, which was newly introduced this year, has already secured 36,129 buyers and thus increased its share of MINI brand vehicles sold to almost 22%. For the month of September the MINI brand was down 5.5% on the same month last year with 22,618 vehicles sold. With 3,762 (prev.yr.: 4,032) vehicles delivered in the month under review, sales in the United States, also declined. The 6.7% decrease is due to low inventories. Overall, demand for the premium small car is still exceptionally strong. For the full year, the brand aims to achieve a new global sales high of more than 240,000 units.
Oct 9th, 2008
We’ve been getting reports that Clubman coming to the US with the Anthracite headliner option have been getting the standard headliner due to a shortage.
According to a thread on North American Motoring, dealers were sent a bulletin at the end of September telling of this problem and recommending that dealers not deliver cars. Of course, some cars were delivered.
If ordered your MINI with the Anthracite headliner option and are expecting delivery soon, you might want to check in with your dealer.
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Oct 2nd, 2008
MINI USA reported September sales of 3,762 automobiles, down 6.7 percent from the 4,031 cars sold in September 2007. Year-to-date, the division reported sales of 40,694 automobiles, an increase of 27.4 percent, compared to the 31,936 cars reported in the first nine months of 2007.
“Tight inventories restricted September MINI sales, which were 269 units below prior year levels,” said Jim McDowell, Vice-President of MINI USA. “Despite high gas prices, limited credit opportunities, and concern about the overall economy, more and more Americans are rethinking automotive choices they have always made. We think this is the reason why we ended the month with only a six day supply of cars in our retailers’ showrooms. In the coming month, we look forward to increased production for our market to help replenish our dealer stocks.”
Sep 26th, 2008
With the current financial state of the US economy and the decline in sales of BMW models, BMWNA has watched sales dip for the first time in a long time. This comes at a time when the company has just invested in expanding its headquarters in NJ, along with other capital investments.
This past spring brought about a change in the used car market. Plummeting prices forced BMW to write down some of its losses. The losses continue due to the poor state of the market. With more cars to come off lease with inflated residuals, how can BMW offset these losses and the money they have already spent elsewhere? Easy: sell some of its more liquid assets.
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Sep 22nd, 2008
Automotive News is reporting that BMW North America and MINI USA will be reducing it’s staff by around 100 employees and turning down 44,000 cars (it’s not clear how many if any of that will be MINIs) that were allocated for the North American market. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
O’Donnell has ordered his department heads to look at cutting costs. They were to have reported back to him by the end of last week. Marketing will be a key area for slashing expenses. O’Donnell said it is wrong “to push in a market that is declining.” continued →
Sep 9th, 2008
MINI Press Release: In August deliveries of the MINI brand were up 10.8% to reach 16,257 vehicles. For the year to the end of August global sales totalled 162,297 (prev.yr.: 141,081) units - an increase of 15.0%. With its responsive engines combining driving fun and fuel efficiency, the MINI brand is more popular than ever, particularly in the U.S. market. With sales of 5,469 (prev.yr.: 4,076) vehicles in August, 34.2% more MINI cars were delivered to customers. Compared to the same period last year almost a third more MINI (+32.4%) were sold in the United States from January to August to reach 36,932 units (prev.yr.: 27,904).
Sep 4th, 2008
MINI USA Press Release: MINI USA reported August sales of 5,469 automobiles, up 34.1 percent from the 4,077 cars sold in August 2007. Year-to-date, the division reported sales of 36,932 automobiles, an increase of 32.3 percent, compared to the 27,905 cars reported in the first eight months of 2007.
“MINI continued to see strong demand in August and one that again lowered our inventory even more,” said Jim McDowell, Vice-President MINI USA. “But good news is on the way as we have increased our allocation for the remainder of the year starting in September.” continued →
Sep 3rd, 2008
With everyone wanting to be green these days, it is pretty nice to see an auto dealer step up to do their part. Even better when it’s a MINI Dealer!
Bill Jacobs BMW/MINI is a little more than a week away from breaking ground on a brand new facility slated to open in the Fall of 2009 in Naperville, IL.
As Bill Jacobs BMW/MINI began planning for their new dealership, they decided to start moving in the right direction—continuing to grow as an organization while developing a more eco-friendly retail facility. On September 12th, the company will break ground on a new state-of-the-art BMW/MINI dealership in Naperville, IL. Slated to open in Fall 2009, the facility will take advantage of water, recycling and ventilation technologies to make the dealership more environmentally stable.
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Aug 26th, 2008
MINI USA has just internally announced that it has reached a deal with the BMW Group to recieve an extra 3,000 new MINI from now until November. Here’s an excerpt from an official internal memo:
On July 1st we announced that we’d secured 2,700 hundred more units for the remainder of the year. We’re pleased to announce that we’ve secured around 3,000 additional units on top of that.
continued →
Aug 8th, 2008
Forbes magazine gives the MINI yet more love when it comes to resale value:
Appointed with premium features at an attractive price, the Cooper occupies a market niche where buyers can find no substitute.
All versions of the iconic Cooper from BMW’s Mini brand command high resale rates. The 2008 Mini Cooper Convertible has an ALG three-year residual value of 57.5 percent, while the newly available Cooper Clubman — a stretched Mini — handily breaks above 60 percent, with a residual of 61.8 percent. But the basic Cooper hatchback still beats them both, while it easily tops the percentage resale value of every other vehicle available. continued →
Aug 7th, 2008
Official BMW Group Release: The BMW Group increased its sales volume in July of this year. In total, 125,812 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand cars were delivered to customers. This represents an increase of 2.2% compared to the same month last year (123,089 units). For the period to the end of July, sales rose by 4.4% to reach 890,699 units (January - July 2007: 853,142 units).
MINI brand reports 2.1% increase in July
The ongoing popularity of the MINI and the variety of models now available resulted in the July sales volume rising by 2.1% to 19,227 units (July 2007: 18,838 units). 146,041 vehicles were delivered during the period to the end of July (January - July 2007: 126,410 units / +15.5%). continued →
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