MINI Forecasting Record Sales for ’09
MINI USA exec Jim McDowell hasn’t been shy about his optimism for 2009 sales. Here’s the latest piece on the matter from Automotive News:
McDowell’s optimism comes despite a 15.4 percent sales drop in January compared with January 2008.
“People held off not because they can’t afford a Mini. It’s a question of whether this is the right time,” says McDowell. “It is normal for Mini to have a slow winter. January is normally our slowest month.”
McDowell says he bases his forecast on encouraging signs “in a very difficult economy”:
The second-generation Mini Cooper convertible goes on sale March 28. Prices, including shipping, will range from $24,550 for the base version to $34,950 for the high-performance John Cooper Works convertible that debuts in April. Traffic on the Miniusa.com Web site is increasing. More buyers are configuring cars, and leads are going to dealers. The order bank started to build in late January.
+ Mini chief: ’09 sales will top 2008 record / Automotive News
Talk about being in denial…
i’m thinking of trying to do a deal on my R56 and a new convertible in a few months….
I really hope he is right. Subaru and MINI were the only 2 mainstream car co’s with an increase in sales in ’08 … so who knows?!
Continued good sales given the economic climate, yea maybe, another record year, I doubt it. Also the competition is going to start heating up in the small car world with Ford bringing over the European versions of the Fiesta and Focus and then hopefully soon the Fiat 500.
Que?
I agree, glangford. Also add to your list the Nissan Cube, possibly the Toyota iQ (I hope so), the new Suzuki Swift, one or two European imports from VW, and the new Honda Insight (a hybrid available here in Japan already and going on sale next month in the U.S.)
The Insight, in particular, is going to be tough competition. How about a fully hybrid/high gas mileage hatchback, famous Honda quality, and a starting price a bit lower than the base MINI Cooper? Wow.
Yea Timothy, I left off a few key ones didn’t I? I’m real excited about a Fit Hybrid. For a small fuel efficient vehicle that has a ton of cargo space with the way the rear seats fold. Out of the two the Insight or Fit hybrid, I’d probably opt for the Fit, although I like the Insight as well.
Well I hope that Jim’s view comes to be the case, however between the economy and the infusion of more direct competition think MiniUSA may find this harder than imagined. Still think the brand has a lot going for it and expect it to do better than most the other brands in 09.
If they want to have a record 2009 year, they have to do a couple of things:
1) Refresh the lineup for 2010MY
2) Adjust prices for the JCW factory cars and new Cabrios to reflect market realities.
3) Address the ever growing snow ball of complaints regarding the Prince engine’s cold start chatter problems.
<p>Is there a growing snow ball of complaints? From where I sit I feel like people have forgotten about this. Do you have a link to NAM or elsewhere people are talking about it? Cause nobody is talking about it on MF..</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-254374" rel="nofollow">lavardera</a>:</p>
<p>Because it is not in the front page here at NAM, it doesn’t mean the issue is not been talked about.</p>
<p>Go to NAM and MINI2.com. There are at least 3 confirmed reports of cars with failed cam belt tensioner chains.</p>
<p>I meant here at MF.</p>
<p>It’s funny to hear people mentioning the Honda Fit and new Insight as MINI competitors. They are less expensive and drive drastically differently, without fun or verve. They’re fine transportation, but not in line with MINIs. No offense.</p>
<p>I doubt sales would be more than last year, even with the new convertible. Prices won’t change, the dollar and pound and price of raw materials are pretty stuck.</p>
<p>I complained about my car when I first read about the problems on here. The garage told me it was nothing.</p>
<p>Now we are in recession and they haven’t quite got so many jobs on…. the kept my car for 6 weeks and replaced the following parts:</p>
<p>HIP Module
Antenna
High pressure fuel pump
TUBING
Timing Chain
Rail
Chain tensioner
Adjustment.uni
Guide rail
2 x stud
Shaft seal
Sprocket
Chain tensioner
Set of head gaskets
2 x torx bolts
1 x hex bolt</p>
<p>Total cost of parts £1,120.00</p>
<p>I can’t imagine what the labour must have cost… so basically, yeah… it’s got loads of problems and the reason it took so long is because there is a worldwide back order shortage of some of the above parts.</p>
<p>Is his middle name “Nephratiri”? Becuase he is the Queen of DE-Nile. Two weeks ago I was in the Mini dealership from 10 AM to 2 PM, test driving and haggling for a cooper S with cold weather and a few baubbles. It was me, 4 salesman, the manager and one other guy. On a Saturday. After a payday. EMPTY. Of course, they are still sticking to their guns and not willing to budge on price, so we did not reach an accomodation….but I’ve got time and the economy is not getting any healthier. I did get a follow up email offering a used Mini (2006) with HIGH MILEAGE in the price range of what I was willing to pay. I politely declined. Tick Tock, Tick Tock.</p>
<p>Still waiting for the Fiat 500</p>
<p>yep… i’ll help them increase their sales by 1 only if they freakin release the interior refresh this year. and that refresh better be on par with a VW interior.</p>
<p>and i want the JCW kit and suspension to come stock with the JCW mini. I just built a 370Z online, and holy crap is so much more of a pleasure to deal with because almost everything is standard. Things you’d expect to be standard is standard, and the car is still under $35K after everything I wanted was on it.</p>
<p>Oh, not to mention a halfway decent stereo please. I dont mind that being an option….</p>
<p>Feb’s sales down also, although missing maybe 400 convertible sales; and February is normally low.
<a href="http://www.gbmini.net/minisales.html" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.gbmini.net/minisales.html</a></p>
<p>Evan, hybrids have “image,” something the MINI attempts to trade in also. Many buyers will want the image and will appreciate the lower price (and lower ongoing gas costs), and that’s precisely the point. The new Insight (at least) drives quite well. Many hybrids do offer some fun off the starting line.</p>
<p>I was hoping for a link to NAM or something. I like to keep track of ongoing issues, but I’ve heard nothing about it. The chain tensioner was suspect when this first emerged but I thought several were replace and it made no difference. I certainly have heard no official word that this was the issue. The last best theory I heard had to do with the drain down of the oil reserved at the top of the valve train for the next start, and this was why the cars seemed sensitive to the length of the days last trip (amount of oil recharged) and the angle the car was parked at (nose down seems to affect this?).</p>
<p>Technically I don’t know what I’m talking about – this is all recalled from the Detroit Mini Clubs message board where there was a pretty involved discussion.</p>