Worldwide MINI Sales Down 21% in November
Faced with ongoing consumer reticence in key sales markets, the MINI brand also delivered 20.8% fewer vehicles in the month under review than the previous year (15,103 / prev.yr.: 19,078). This is mainly due to the model change in the MINI Convertible, which ceased production in August. In November 2007, 1,829 units of the MINI Convertible had been delivered. The new MINI Convertible will be launched in late March 2009. Preparations for the production change-over at the MINI plant in Oxford are well advanced. However, in November, MINI was still ahead of the field in the United States, where the brand climbed 43.1% to reach a total of 4,545 (prev.yr.: 3,177) vehicles sold. Globally, MINI grew 7.6% between January and November 2008 compared to the previous year to 217,405 (prev.yr.: 202,075) cars.
What a success story MINI has been for BMW. But in some other countries MINI has struggled to compete against lower priced rivals. MINI has out done the VW Beetle overwelmingly. Take the Japanese used market where a 2002 MINI fetches a higher price than a E46 BMW 318i 2-door compact.
Not hard to outdo the New Beetle – from day-one was branded a “Chick” car, coupled with the abysmal QC in their Mexican plants giving it horrible repair/mechanical reputation. I’d be interested in hearing from the EU crowd on their take of the sales decline. The economy? Just normal “new model” competition? Or is the EU competion out competing MINI with form and function. My personal bias it that after their first success, subsequent Model revs were much more “lipstick” than taking the car to the next level, other than the engine change – which was as much for for BMW’s benefit to help get the EU manufacturer’s preferred gas mileage tax incentives, and the body changes to meet new EU crash standards.
Greetings from the EU! Mini sales here in Britain were down by 40% in November, which is a slightly worse performance than the market as a whole. Obviously the economic situation played a big part, but another factor could be the success of the new Ford Fiesta which went straight to the number one position last month, its first whole month on sale. Having seen numerous examples on the roads round here I believe its chic looks and expensive looking interior could be swaying a lot of potential Mini buyers. Its better value (an important factor at the moment) and like all Euro Fords is top of its class for handling and comfort. Jeremy Clarkson awarded it 5 stars in his Sunday Times article which is practically unheard of, then he spoilt it all by performing a ridiculous test on the Tv show last night!
<a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article5251469.ece" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article5251469.ece</a>
<a href="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ab6i3lZBk" rel="nofollow ugc">http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ab6i3lZBk</a>
Global economy and better European competition has to be two of the larger things. still very good performance considering the global car sales of everybody else. I know several friends in Germany that have said they have seen quite a few Mini owners buying the Fiat 500 instead of a new Mini.
watching that ford fiesta spot on top gear last night made me want a ford fiesta…. but i live in the US
dc11r, I believe its coming to you in about a years time!
Yes, Ford Fiesta is indeed coming to the US. The car will be assembled in Mexico.
The VW New Beetle first debut in the market 10 years ago. At the time it was a “hot” car here in the US and signal the comeback of VW which was at the brink of bankruptcy in the late 1990’s.
The New Beetle was modeled after the successful VW “Concept 1” of 1995. The car was nothing but a VW Golf underneath with the curved/frumpy body of a Beetle
The New Beetle never caught on in the German market. After all, the Beetle enjoys “guilt by association” because it was practically “Hitler’s car”. Second the new car had zero similarities to the old model. Front engine, FWD, watercooled engine. Totally the ani-thesis of the original bettle, which was RWD, rear engine and air cooled.
VW allowed the car to become stale in the marketplace (Like Chrysler did with the now defunct PT Cruiser) and they did very little in the way of addressing its poor quality reputation. In the way of variants and performance oriented models, it took VW several years after the 1998 debut to bring the TDI models, 1.8T gas models and the cabriolet. The Beetle Cabriolet debut in the 2003 model year as sales of the frumpy looking hardtop where tanking.
Many believe that VW should just let the Beetle die with dignity and there were rumors that VW was going to exactly just do that.
However, a new Beetle has been slated for 2010 introduction (See pictures of the car in Jalopnik) and needless to say, it looks absolutely hideous.
Why VW insists on this insipid turkey instead of bringing state side the new 2009 VW Scirocco sports coupe is beyond anyone’s comprehension.
The VW New Beetle was and always has been nothing but an easy fixed target in the marketplace.
The ragtop P T Cruiser was axed. The hardtop remains.
<blockquote>Second the new car had zero similarities to the old model. Front engine, FWD, watercooled engine. Totally the ani-thesis of the original bettle, which was RWD, rear engine and air cooled.</blockquote>
you’re knocking the beetle, but sounds like you are describing the Fiat 500..
Very true. The Fiat 500 also suffers from an identity crisis. I still think it is a better package than the Beetle.
Fiat is selling a lot in Europe so I am not sure how much of a identity crisis it has. We also shouldn’t throw stones as the BMW Mini is still portly cousin of the classic.