Chicago-Auto-Show-2014---160

MINI’s massive R56/F56 model switch-over is causing a serious lack of inventory. At least that’s what the numbers are telling us. Not only was the US down last month but MINI worldwide was down almost 14%.

February saw 15,975 MINIs delivered to customers (prev. yr. 18,527/ -13.8%). The sales slow-down is due to the model change-over with the new MINI, which will go on sale from mid-March. Sales of the MINI Clubman remain strong: in the first two months of the year, a total of 2,532 vehicles were delivered to customers, an increase of 22.5% on the same period last year (2,067).

In the Americas, a total of 30,490 BMW and MINI vehicles were delivered to customers in February (prev. yr. 30,902/ -1.3%). Sales for the year-to-date rose 1.0% to 56,467 models delivered (prev. yr. 55,923). In the USA, sales for the first two months of 2014 remained stable, with a total of 45,272 deliveries (prev. yr. 45,808/ -1.2%) compared with the same period last year. Sales in Brazil for the year-to-date increased by an impressive 54.0% to 2,420 (prev. yr. 1,571) and deliveries in Mexico in the first two months of 2014 rose by 14.3% to 2,194 (prev. yr. 1,920).

The continuing headwinds in Europe continue to make themselves felt with 60,321 BMW and MINI models delivered in February (prev. yr. 61,253/ -1.5%). Sales for the first two months of 2014 are on a par with the previous year with a total of 111,654 deliveries (prev. yr. 111,870/ -0.2%). Sales in Scandinavia continue to grow significantly, increasing 15.2% compared with the first two months of last year with a total of 6,551 vehicles delivered in the year to date (prev. yr. 5,499).