New Mini Plans For Big Sales

The U.S. became the No.1 market for BMW AG's Mini brand in 2006, surpassing the U.K., says Jim McDowell, vice president-Mini USA.

But the U.K. likely will regain No.1 status this year, as the home country got the jump on the launch of the second-generation Mini.

The all-new '07 Mini Cooper and Cooper S went on sale in Europe Nov. 18 and in the U.S. in February.

The base Mini One will not be sold in the U.S., as it does not make sense to sell the less-profitable base model in a market where demand outpaces supply for the higher-end Cooper and Cooper S, McDowell says. Americans buy the highest percentage of performance S models — accounting for about 60% of sales.

Mini has had record sales in the U.S. every year since its March 2002 debut — with the exception of last year when it was capacity constrained because of two weeks' lost production to install new robots in the body shop and add a second paint shop at the final assembly plant in Oxford, U.K.

Globally, Mini sales slipped 6.2% in 2006, to 188,000 units. The U.S. saw its sales decline by 700 units — a much smaller shortfall than was anticipated, McDowell tells Ward's.