MINI USA continued it’s assault on sales charts in January by selling 3,334 automobiles in January, an increase of 21.2 percent from the 2,751 sold in January 2011. Full model break-down after the jump.

Last week it was MINI USA announcing record sales. This week BMW Group global is doing this same. 2011 was the best year on record for BMW Group and the three automotive brands, BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce. MINI in particular had a great year as it diversified its product portfolio and brought a new factory online with the Countryman.

Official Release: The MINI brand can also look back on its best year ever. Global sales climbed to a record 285,060 vehicles in 2011 (+21.7%; prev. yr. 234,175). It finished on a strong note in December with 29,467 vehicles sold (+16.2%; prev. yr. 25,359).

The brand’s positive annual result was bolstered by the MINI Countryman, which totalled 89.036 deliveries in its first full year of sales. Further momentum is expected in 2012 with the new additions to the MINI family: the MINI Coupé and the MINI Roadster. The U.S. remains the largest market for MINI, with 57,511 cars sold last year, followed by the U.K. with 50,428).

“MINI’s record setting sales results in 2011 prove that small is a success in its own right even without the prodding of rising fuel prices. Our U.S. customers have found they can have a great motoring experience even while enjoying strong fuel economy and a smaller footprint.”

It’s an interesting point that MINI is seeing its best year ever despite relatively low fuel costs and a still-rocky economic climate. I think it’s fair to say that the brand is standing squarely on its own four wheels. The novelty has definitely passed. “Cute” will only get you so far. High gas prices will make many people consider smaller cars, but MINI has been successful beyond these “on paper” factors. I think MINI is here to stay and has found a more mainstream fan base outside of those simply crunching the numbers or drawn to its bulldog face.

Where did that growth come from? The Countryman, of course. We’ve seen it in the numbers all year long. Countryman sales have been neck-and-neck with Hardtop sales for months now. At some point, R60 sales will likely surpass Hardtop sales, if only by a few units.

Now a lot of MotoringFile readers are not fans of the Countryman — not fans of the “bigger” MINI. I get that. From the perspective of the Hardtop, the R60 certainly is bigger. Thing is, I think Jim McDowell had it right when he said “small is a success” because the Countryman is one of the smallest, most capable, most sporting small four door crossovers available. Go find another small AWD crossover with good handling, a manual transmission, and that can get 30+ mpg. It doesn’t exist. People are responding to the Countryman’s clever use of space, its efficiency, and its performance — all the things that make it a MINI — and the brand is reaping the sales rewards. Furthermore, all the things the R60 brings to the table are additive. Its success takes nothing away from the Hardtop, nor does it unseat the Hardtop as the core of the MINI brand.

So a huge congratulations to MINI on a great year. Here’s to breaking that record again in 2012.

Last week we repotted on MINI’s incredible 70% increase in sales for the US. Now it’s worldwide sales. The MINI brand recorded its best November. Global sales climbed to 23,534 vehicles (+14.6%/prev. yr. 20,541). Volumes rose 22.4% (255,595/prev. yr. 208,816) in the first eleven months of the year, with sales growth in virtually all markets.

The MINI Countryman continued to perform well, with 8,200 deliveries in November (+96.9%/prev. yr. 4,164). The new MINI Coupé also got off to an excellent start: More than 2,300 (2,347) units have been sold since its market launch in October.

MINI USA reported sales of 4,750 automobiles in November, up an astonishing 70.5% from the 2,786 sold in November 2010. Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 25.4% on volume of 51,800 compared to 41,324 in the first eleven months of 2010. (Full sales chart after the break)

“The results are exciting because it means customers are not only buying in record numbers they are also ordering customized vehicles,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President, MINI USA. “This will be the best sales year ever for MINI thanks to our expanding model line-up, and there’s more to come!”

Even with sales up, it’s hard not to notice that sales the core product, the R56, are actually down. In speaking to MINI they very pleased with R56 sales given the market cannibalization from the Countryman and Coupe and for a car that is in its 5th year of production. They attribute this to more people coming into the showrooms to see the Countryman and Coupe and walking out with an R56 hatch.

For a look at the full BMW sales figures, head over to BimmerFile

The MINI brand achieved a new sales record for October. Volumes rose 16.2% to 23,839 units (prev. yr. 20,523). In the year to the end of October, 232,056 units (prev. yr. 188,275/+23.3%) were sold. The MINI Countryman continued to report strong sales with 8,645 vehicles sold last month (prev. yr. 3,525/+145.2%).

The newest and fifth member of the MINI family, the MINI Coupé also got off to an excellent start in October. Robertson: “When we launched the new MINI ten years ago, we created the premium small-car segment. Since then, we’ve been busy growing the MINI family. New additions to the line-up have propelled MINI to new sales records. And now with the new MINI Coupé and MINI Roadster, we fully expect MINI’s momentum to continue.”

The year-over-year sales results for October are in, and led by best-yet Countryman sales, MINI is up 37% overall. The afore-mentioned Countryman, which has been on sale in the US since last December, had its best month to date with 2,012 units sold state-side. Last year we predicted the Countryman would eventual eclipse sales of the hatch this winter. As you’ll see after the break it’s around 50 units sold away from doing that already. To say the Countryman has been a success in the US market is a bit of an understatement.

Also interesting are the sales numbers on the Coupé, which at 414 units, is only outselling the Convertible. Look for that number to rise with a full month of sales and better awareness of the new model, but also expect the Hardtop and Countryman to stay at the top and battle for the sales lead over the next year.

Full figures after the break.

[Source: MINI]

Official Release: The MINI brand experienced a strong growth of +20.5% in worldwide sales in September. With 30,387 (prev. yr. 25,221) deliveries, the brand reported its best September result ever. A major contributor was the new MINI Countryman which launched just over a year ago and has already been received by over 76,000 customers.

In the period up to and including September, MINI crossed the 200.000 mark with an increase of 24.1% in worldwide sales (208,216 / prev. yr. 167,752). The brand new MINI Coupé will hit the market this month in October and is expected to provide further momentum for the brand.

MINI USA continues to struggle with getting cars on the lots of dealers around the country as sales are once again down. A quick check at a few dealers indicated low numbers on the lots and high demand for the Countryman. Speaking of the Countryman, it’s getting closer to the R56 hatch in terms of sales. As you can see past the break, it’s only 600 unit behind. It had been over a thousand for the past few months. Will we ever see it surpass the R56? As we’ve previously predicted, don’t be surprised to see it on the top spot this winter.

Official Release: MINI USA reported sales of 3,999 automobiles in September. The September 2011 sales are down 18.1% from the 4,884 sold in September, 2010.

(Click through for the full sales break down)

Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 20.4% on volume of 41,635 compared to 34,588 in the first nine months of 2010.

In August the brand reached another important milestone: The two millionth MINI was produced in Oxford. The launch of another Oxford-produced MINI next month, the MINI Coupé, is expected to provide further impetus for the brand. MINI is also expected to return to double-digit growth in worldwide sales next month.

MINI USA reported sales of 3,109 automobiles in August – down 29.7% from the 4,425 sold in August, 2010. However according to MINI USA, the issue lies with lack of product rather than product not selling.

“Lack of inventory slowed MINI sales in August due to our annual model year change over in July,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President – MINI USA. “MINI has been fortunate to maintain a tight supply of inventory and many customers submitted specifications for custom MINIs in August so we are confident this will be reflected in September and October sales continuing our momentum this year.”

Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 26.7% on volume of 37,636 compared to 29,704 in the first eight months of 2010.

MINI continued on its path to a record year with solid growth across all continents in July. 20,153 vehicles were delivered last month, an increase of 10.5% over the 18,242 cars sold in July 2010. Year-to-date, MINI sales are up 27.1% on volume with 162,066 compared to 127,544 in the first seven months of 2010.

MINI USA reported sales of 4,711 automobiles in July. The July 2011 sales are an increase of 8.9% over the 4,326 sold in July, 2010. Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 36.6% on volume of 34,527 compared to 25,279 in the first seven months of 2010. You can see the full sales break-down after the jump.

It’s no secret that we weren’t crazy about the idea of the MINI Countryman when we first heard about it. The very thought of a MINI SUV was repugnant to most enthusiasts, and still is to some. However, now that we’ve driven it, the Countryman has more than won us over. Regardless of where you stand on the fan/hater continuum, there’s one thing we’ve said many times here and on WhiteRoofRadio: MINI needs the Countryman for long-term financial health, and this previous month’s record-breaking sales figures prove it. This Countryman-powered growth is what makes more enthusiast-oriented cars like the MINI Coupé possible. So we were delighted to read that we’re not alone in this opinion.

New Countryman owner and obvious MINI enthusiast Aaron has been chronicling his Countryman ownership experience from order to current motoring adventures. The old guard here at MotoringFile should recognize this enthusiasm, as it’s exactly what many of us did back in the day when we ordered our R50s an R53s. Recently, he pointed to a post by automotive commentary and analysis site Good Car Bad Car, going in-depth along the same lines as our long held opinion that the Countryman is critical to MINI’s long-term growth and success. They do a great job diving into the numbers.

Don’t go confusing the Countryman with the Honda CR-V or even the Volkswagen Tiguan. VW, for instance, sold nearly twice as many Tiguans as MINI sold Countrymen/Countrymans in May. And for every MINI Countryman sold, Honda sold 9.5 CR-Vs last month, and it was a bad month for the CR-V.

But that’s beside the point. MINI doesn’t introduce models intending to take over mass market segments. Anyhow, we’re studying the Countryman’s impact on the MINI fleet. This leads us to discover that, without the Countryman in May, MINI would’ve been down 3.4%. So far this year, the Countryman has helped MINI post an 18.7% improvement. But without the Countryman, MINI’s year-over-year jump is just 6.3%, not nearly as healthy as the overall new vehicle market’s 14% improvement.

The full post is definitely worth a read. Particularly interesting is their breakdown of how the Countryman and the Hardtop models are essentially carrying MINI sales at present, as Convertible and Clubman sales decline. Furthermore, they go on to explore the Countryman’s impact in Canada, where it has to go up against the BMW X1. Big thanks to Aaron for pointing this out and kudos on sharing your enthusiasm with all of us through your blog.

[Source: Good Car Bad Car via Countryman Motoring

[Official Release] MINI USA reported sales of 5,228 automobiles in June, a new record for the month. The June 2011 sales are an increase of 26% over the 4,149 sold in June, 2010.

Fuel prices have moderated in the last month or so but we are still seeing an increase in MINI sales” said Jim McDowell, Vice President MINI USA. “It’s not just the new Countryman that’s popular but the entry hardtop as well, telling me that more Americans are embracing small cars as a rational choice.

Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 42.3% on volume of 29,816 compared to 20,953 in the first six months of 2010. The January to June numbers are the highest achieved in that six month period since MINI was launched in the U.S. in 2002.

The BMW Group has announced today an additional £500 million investment in its UK production network over the next three years and confirmed that the UK will be a production location for its next generation MINI models. This takes the company’s investment across all its UK operations to more than £1.5 billion since 2000.

“We have started preparing our UK plants for production of the next generation MINI and this investment underlines that the UK will remain the heart of MINI production,” announced Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, during his visit to London on Thursday. “The MINI brand has made a significant contribution to BMW Group’s success in markets around the world and we anticipate that this will grow further in the future.”

The BMW Group chairman outlined his company’s plans for further investment at a meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron at Downing Street this morning. The investment, the majority of which will be will be used to create new production facilities and equipment at MINI Plant Oxford, will help to safeguard over 5,000 jobs in the MINI vehicle assembly plant in Oxford, the pressings plant in Swindon and the company’s engine plant at Hams Hall near Birmingham.

The BMW Group has been producing MINI at Plant Oxford since 2001. In that time nearly two million vehicles have been produced at the plant and more than 1.5 million MINIs have been exported to customers in 90 different countries. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I welcome this major investment by BMW Group in UK manufacturing. The production and export of iconic British cars like the MINI is making a real contribution to the rebalancing of the economy that this government is determined to achieve.

It’s a tremendous vote of confidence in the skills and capabilities of the company’s British workforce and in the future of UK manufacturing. The MINI plant in Oxford has been one of our great manufacturing success stories, they should be hugely proud of their achievements. They have shown once again that the UK is a major player in the global automotive industry.”

BMW Group’s strategy is that the location of production is linked to the large markets for its products. The UK is the BMW Group’s fourth-largest single market in the world for sales, behind only Germany, the US and China, with sales in 2010 across the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands totalling 154,750.

Producing 216,302 vehicles in 2010 and exporting to more than 90 countries across the globe, MINI was the third-largest vehicle manufacturer in the UK, accounting for 17 per cent of national automotive production. As part of the expansion of the MINI product line-up, the MINI Coupé will be launched in 2011, followed by the MINI Roadster in 2012 – both of which will be produced in Oxford.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Today’s announcement by BMW is a real tribute to the success of British automotive manufacturing. The firm’s workforce in Oxford is now set to repeat the international success of the current MINI in producing the next generation model over the coming years. The competitiveness of automotive manufacturing in this country is shown by the commitment of the biggest global firms to make serious investments in long-term production here and as a government we are determined to make sure this success story remains a big part of the future economic growth we must secure.”

“Oxford has been the heart of MINI for the last 10 years and we are proud of what has been achieved here,” said Jürgen Hedrich, head of Plant Oxford. “Naturally we are delighted to confirm that the next generation MINI will be built here too and look forward to the continued worldwide success of these great cars.”

The BMW Hams Hall engine plant, close to Birmingham, set a new annual production record in 2010 with 385,051 engines, representing 16 per cent of total UK engine production. Four-cylinder petrol engines are manufactured at Hams Hall for both MINI and BMW models.

Rolls-Royces have been built in the UK for 107 years and BMW Group is committed to continue this tradition with its base at Goodwood in West Sussex. This has been underlined by constant investment since the new company was established in 2003 and this is set to continue as the brand grows. In 2010 a new sales record was set with 2711 Rolls-Royce Phantoms and Ghosts sold all over the world.

BMW Group’s contribution to UK economy

A new report published by Oxford Economics underscores the significance of the BMW Group’s business operations to the UK economy. The BMW Group and its dealer network employ around 18,000 people directly, while its supplier and service network supports over 46,000 jobs in total in the UK.

80 per cent of MINIs and 90 per cent of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars produced in the UK are exported. In total, £2.4 billion worth of cars and engines are exported each year, making the BMW Group a major UK exporter which accounts for around one per cent of all goods exported by UK companies.

MINI USA reported sales of 5,801 cars in May – an increase of 37%. For the year things look even better with sales up an incredible 46.3%. Their staggering numbers and exactly what the brand needed with it’s traditional core product (the hatch) about to enter its 5th year of production

However With the introduction of the new crossover it’s quickly becoming clear that there are two core products are for the brand in the US; the R56 hatch and the R60 Countryman. In fact the R60 is selling at well over double the rate of the Clubman and, for May, was only 1000 units behind the standard hatch.

Full sales figures after the break.

Whether you approve of the R60 or not, it’s hard to argue against it’s success in adding to MINI’s bottom line and subsequently the brand’s future growth.

The good news continues for MINI sales. While US sales are particularly strong, the rest of the world isn’t far behind. Sales climbed to 23,839 vehicles (prev. yr. 17,719) – an increase of 34.5% over the same period last year. In China (1,400/ +89.2%), South Korea (300/ +130.8%) and Russia (165/ +283.7%) sales growth was in the three-digit percentage range. The number of MINI models through April this year rose to 84,698 (prev. yr. 67,251/ +25.9%) vehicles.

Big sales news this afternoon from MINI USA. April sales were the best ever for MINI USA, with monthly sales up 67.7% and year-to-date sales up 49.4% over last year. Top sellers were the Hardtop — with 2,343 Cooper and Cooper S hatchbacks — and the Countryman, with 1,709 cars sold in April. A trend in sales decline for both the Convertible and the Clubman continued in April as well, with the Clubman down 2.9% and Convertible sales down 15.8%. More info after the break.

[Official release] MINI USA reported sales of 6,446 automobiles making it the best sales month ever in the U.S. April 2011 sales are an increase of 67.7% over the 3,843 sold in April, 2010.

“The refreshed and expanded MINI model lineup has been driving demand since the first of the year and now rising gas prices mean even more people are open to small,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President – MINI USA. “The U.S. is MINI’s largest market and the addition of the new Countryman offering four doors and All Wheel Drive is a real game-changer, further increasing our appeal.”

Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 49.4% on volume of 18,787 compared to 12,571 in the first four months of 2010.

It was a month of bests for the BMW Group. The group in total sold more cars (far more) than ever before in a calendar month worldwide. That translated into each brand, BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce having their best month of sales ever. But it gets even better if you look at year to date. For 2011, MINI sales are up 23% over 2010. Looking further at the numbers, last month MINI saw a 28.5% increase in sales thank in large part to the new Countryman.

You can read the official release after the break.

Official Release: MINI also reported record figures. At 30,689 units (+28.5%), MINI sales easily exceeded the brand’s previous monthly best from 2008. A total of 60,860 vehicles were sold in the first quarter of 2011. This represents a sales increase of 22.9% compared with the first three months of last year. The MINI Countryman, introduced last September, contributed to the brand’s positive performance so far this year. With 8,392 vehicles sold, the newest MINI version accounted for more than a quarter of MINI retail in March.