Worldwide MINI Sales Hit a Record High in July
Official Release: BMW Group achieved a new July sales record with a total of 180,080 vehicles delivered to customers around the world, an increase of 4.0% on the same month last year. Coming off the back of a record first half-year, this solid start to the third quarter sees year-to-date sales climb 5.5% with 1,343,217 vehicles delivered worldwide.
Following on from its best-ever first half year, MINI achieved record sales in July with 26,439 (+4.0%) vehicles delivered to customers around the world. A total of 201,337 MINIs were sold in the first seven months of the year, an increase of 5.2% and the first time the brand has sold over 200,000 vehicles by this point in the year. The brand’s biggest growth drivers in the year-to-date are the MINI Convertible (17,225 / +65.9%) and the MINI Clubman, which has been delivered to more than 32,000 customers around the world.
In Europe, combined monthly sales of BMW and MINI totalled 79,815 in July, up 5.6% compared with the same month last year. Year-to-date sales in Europe are up 10.5% with a total of 622,664 vehicles delivered. Almost all markets in the region have contributed to this strong growth with the three biggest markets, Germany (182,390 / +7.8%), the UK (136,914 / +9.6%) and France (49,755/ +13.0%) playing a significant role.
Sales of BMW and MINI vehicles in Asia also saw strong growth last month with a total of 56,819 vehicles delivered to customers in July (+7.9%). In the first seven months of the year, a total of 417,730 BMW and MINI vehicles were sold in Asia, an increase of 7.4% compared with the same period last year. The region’s biggest market, Mainland China, achieved an 8.5% increase compared with the first seven months of last year, with a total of 287,753 vehicles sold. Year-to-date sales in Japan (41,750 / +8.2%) and South Korea (34,569 / +9.9%) also show strong growth.
Sales of BMW and MINI in the Americas decreased 3.9% in July compared with the same month last year, with a total of 38,097 vehicles delivered to customers in the region. Year-to-date sales of BMW and MINI vehicles in the region total 260,621, which is down 7.4% compared with the same period last year. While sales in Canada (25,524 / +7.3%) and Mexico (18,308 / +9.1%) are up, the increasingly competitive market in the USA has seen year-to-date deliveries decrease 9.5% with a total of 209,131 BMW and MINIs delivered to customers.
<p>In your reply to a comment on your 12 April post reporting worldwide March sales, you noted the lack of availability at the time of country-specific data outside of the U.S (i.e., the stats were limited to “U.S.” and “all other markets”). These data for July are much richer in detail and offer some interesting insights. When did MINI start breaking out and reporting their sales statistics for individual countries other than the U.S.? Or is this limited to combined MINI-BMW sales?</p>
<p>To keep these latest sales figures in perspective, we need to bear in mind that last year, 2015, was an all-time record year for MINI Global Sales, even eclipsing Mini’s record sales year in 1971. So to be up 4% for this July YTD and up 5.2% up for the first seven months YTD is quite something.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see MINI achieving 350,000 sales by the end of this year, and possibly even 400,000 sales next year, with the new Countryman entering the fray this November.</p>
<p>MINI GLOBAL SALES YTD vs MINI USA SALES YTD</p>
<p>2013: 172,313 vs 38,306 (Record year for MINI USA)
2015: 191,355 vs 35,451
2016: 201,337 vs 29,918</p>
<p>It’s not that surprising. MINI Canada is killing it in both new car sales and used. I’ve talked to a lot of the sales managers in the Greater Toronto Area and they said that they have never sold as many JCWs as they have this year to date and they still have 4 months to go. Hell, They can’t keep the Clubman All4 on the lot.</p>
<p>The only blips right now seem to be that the demand for the Cooper S and Clubman S is lower than ever before because the performance difference between the Justa and the S is so small and people with the money to do so are skipping straight to the JCW and the All4. Meanwhile, sales of the Countryman have gone off a cliff since the release of the Clubman All4 and that the new Countryman can’t come soon enough.</p>
<p>This has lead to some serious incentives dealers are letting cars go for about $2000 off the MSRP and MINI Canada has been offering $2000 factory rebate and 0.9% financing and leases. While this is not even close to the $4000 cash back on Paceman All4 or $6500 off JCW Paceman, it clearly demonstrates that this car has overstayed it’s welcome at the dealers.</p>
<p>From what I’m hearing that’s fairly indicative to Europe as well. Basically it’s just the US that’s the outlier.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with US sales? I can speak from my experience. In the Bay Area of California there are 6 dealers within 60 miles. There is a grand total of ONE cooper convertible with manual transmission on the lots combined, it’s a non S, and is over $30k.</p>
<p>It would appear dealers are looking to make up multiples sales’ worth of commissions on each car and that’s just nuts. All automatic vehicles? Why?</p>
<p>This is insanity. I don’t know if the dealers here are representative of the nation at large, but if this nonsense is going on everywhere it’s no wonder why sales are in the dumpster.</p>
<p>Just for giggles I checked Los Angeles and there are 11 dealers there and exactly ONE convertible across all 11 lots with manual transmission and jacked with $8k in add ons. Ridiculous!</p>