MINIUSA has out paced last year's sales numbers by a mere 22 cars. While most car companies would be happy to equal the numbers of a previously successful year one has to feel MINIUSA could have sold more cars if it wasn't for the supply problems that plagued the '04 to '05 model year change over. Here's the official release from MINIUSA:
MINI USA reported its strongest year to date, with sales of 36,032, compared to the 36,010 sold in 2003. For the month of December, MINI sales were down 5 percent, to 3,810 automobiles versus 4,005 sold a year ago.
The BMW brand as a whole in the US also had a record year:
The BMW Group (BMW and MINI brands combined) reported robust sales for 2004, breaking past annual sales records for both brands, to record a total of 296,111 vehicles, an increase of 7 percent over the 276,869 in 2003. The Group also reported record December sales of 29,292 vehicles, up 18 percent over the 24,915 vehicles sold in the same month in 2003, for an all-time monthly sales record.
You can read more about MINIUSA sales to date over at Ian Cull's weblog:
[ 100,000 US MINIs Soon ]
<p>Hey Gabe – congrats on the job, but…</p>
<p>how does 36,032-36,010 equal 26 cars? :)</p>
<p>math can be a very dangerous thing…</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gbmini.net/images/MINIsalesGraph.jpg">Chart</a> and <a href="http://www.gbmini.net/sales.shtml">table</a> of all USA MINI sales.
I wonder where I can get worldwide sales and chart them?</p>
<p>and just think, if I didn't buy my car this year it would have been 21…</p>
<p>good thing my old car died.</p>
<p>ahh, and if not me, 20…</p>
<p>That is most excellent news .</p>
<p>BMW also managed to outsell VW in the U.S., mostly due to VW's aging product line (the new Golf, new Jetta, and new Passat arrive later this year)</p>
<p>Top European Nameplate Sales in the U.S., 2004
1. BMW 260,079 (not including MINI)
2. VW 256,111</p>
<p>I saw that… VW has some issues to deal with the years ahead. If the next Jetta and Passat aren't hits (and initial opinions on the designs are very divided) VW might have to rethink their strategy a bit.</p>
<p>I always thought VWs were overrated, (except the GTI) and definitely overpriced.
How could someone pay 17K for a base model Jetta, when a Civic EX has more everything (power, options, quality) for the same price?
What does the young urban public see in the almost-worst-initial-quality-rated brand?</p>
<p>MINIs, unlike Civics have personality. The public likes to be reasonably unique, while still being mainstream. Jettas are a unique upscale (they have great interiors, and you don't fall asleep upon sitting down like in a civic) car, but mainstream enough you can find a VW dealer in most cities. Civics do sell tons of cars, but the “uniquness” of a Jetta is part of what makes it hip + trendy, and it shows you've made it, you can afford a quality german automobile (that happens to be made in mexico…)</p>
<p>If the rumors are correct, clearly MINI is trying to learn from VW and make a more upscale interior as well.</p>
<p>Well, the hipness and trendiness of VWs, Jettas especially, goes to show that marketing your product matters more than the product (i.e. any Windows OS, Most VWs). I agree that Jettas have some nice interiors, but there comes a point where the trend has to have some substance behind it. Also, a “quality German automobile” cannot end up near the bottom of a JD Power list. Not to knock VWs too hard, I do hope they can upgrade their quality, of course the recent recall of over 300K vehicles doesn't help. I just can't see how VW can justify the 17K entry point. It is their sales leader and is made to compete directly with the CivicCorollaSentraCobaltEtc.
MINIs, being more of a niche vehicle, certainly can justify the price, considering what you get for the base price (features, etc.) and is more justified now that the glaring quality issues have been resolved.</p>