News : MINI and Rolls-Royce post record sales

MINI achieved record sales last year (since BMW’s takeover of the marque) with 285,060 models delivered to customers worldwide. This was an increase of almost 22 per cent over 2010 with the Countryman performing particularly well with sales rising six-fold to 89,036.

BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer confirmed the Clubvan concept will go into production: ‘Fans can look forward to the new special edition Clubvan. This is the first lifestyle transport vehicle in the premium small car segment.’

Rolls-Royce also had its best ever sales numbers in its 107-year history, selling 3538 models, up from 2711 in 2010. Reithofer said: ‘Rolls-Royce is about to launch the Phantom Series II in the second half of this year. This means updated design, new top technology and state-of-the-art networking services.’

 

Keith Adams

12 Comments

  1. “This is the first lifestyle transport vehicle in the premium small car segment.”

    Yuck!

    Personally, I’d feel much happier to to see the MINI van stripped to the bone, fitted with an 850cc engine of archaic origin, painted in British Gas, or GPO colours and then sold in huge numbers to people that were only too happy to park them at the depot at the end of the day and then catch the bus home 😉

  2. Oh here we go. Yes, but if they produced a stripped out weird beard version no one except weird beards would buy it and we wouldnt have a headline that MINI has posted record sales would we? Give me strength!

  3. ‘This is the first lifestyle transport vehicle in the premium small car segment.’

    What about the MG ZR Express – not that I ever saw many of those on the road either….

  4. @5 Richard Poulter

    It’s known as rewriting history to suit your own ends. I believe the North Koreans, among others, are particularly adept at this.

  5. @ David Knowles:

    You forgot to mention the Rover Commerce; itself quite a rare example and vastly underrated.

  6. “March 22,2012, officially marks 10 years of MINI in the US of A. What many dismissed as a niche car for a non-existant audience has more than flourished on American soil. But MINI did more than just bring back a classic. It did more than sell a fun, fast, cute little car. MINI defined an entirely new market segment in the US: The Premium Small Car. At the time, you could buy small, you could buy nice, you could buy fun, but you couldn’t buy all three. Not in one car, anyway. Now it seems like every auto show circuit, another manufacturer has a new, nice, small car with its sights set on being the next MINI. Try though they might, none of them have yet been able to match MINI’s mix of performance, personalization, fuel economy and style. Critics might be able to argue for better cars in one or two areas, but no one has yet to match MINI in that sweet spot at the intersection of performance, economy, and affordable luxury.”

    MINI launched in the U.S. during the time when gas was cheap and large trucks and SUVs ruled the road. Many thought the brand would be a one-hit wonder, and we are extremely proud that we were able to surprise some the toughest critics, and at times, even ourselves.”
    http://www.motoringfile.com/2012/03/21/celebrating-10-years-of-mini-usa/

  7. pity we are not reading the mini R50 was a huge success for Longbridge still even though BMW nicked the idea and brand rights from rover at least they are being made at cowley

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