1,000 MINIs delivered in just eight months  IGH performance MINI sales have accelerated from 0-1000 in just the eight months since its Australian launch in March.

Celebrating the successful brand launch with MINI in Australia is businessman Peter Young who took delivery of the 1000th car - a MINI Cooper S - from MINI Garage Melbourne in late October.

Peter’s Indi Blue/White Roof MINI Cooper S comes with a host of factory fitted optional extras, including full leather interior, MINI navigation system, multi function steering
wheel with cruise control, electric glass sun roof, Dynamic Stability Control, 17-inch S-Spoke light alloy wheels on run flat tyres and Xenon headlights with washer system.

These optional features complement the six airbags, ASC+T traction control, ABS with EBD, and Corner Braking Control (CBC) fitted as standard to every supercharged MINI Cooper S.

Advanced technology and an expansive list of features highlights MINI’s position as a premium car in the compact class.

Peter, who owns McDonalds franchises in Melbourne’s CBD, says the MINI Cooper S is great for zipping through city traffic.

“I love the car. It is fun to drive. I ordered my car last June as soon as I heard there would be a Cooper S version. I owned two Mini Coopers 20 years ago, and now the new MINI is made by BMW, I’m confident the quality and reliability will be top notch.

“The nimbleness, handling and power are the best features. The car draws a crowd wherever I go and people can’t help but smile when they see it,” Peter says.

A keen Williams F1 fan since the Alan Jones days, Peter chose the Indi Blue exterior paint colour because it is a close match to the FW24 race car.

Few premium brands have enjoyed as much instant success as the MINI in Australian motoring history. Sales of MINI brand cars commenced in March this year. Initially, the fully equipped $32,650 85kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder MINI Cooper five-speed manual and the identically powered $34,850 MINI Cooper CVT automatic made up the range.

The $39,900 120kW supercharged MINI Cooper S was introduced in July compete with 16-inch light alloy wheels, short-shift six-speed manual gearbox and sportier suspension settings.

The enhanced 1.6-litre engine fitted to the MINI Cooper S has 210Nm of torque to propel it to 100km/h in a swift 7.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 218km/h (where legal).

MINI is available from 22 stand alone MINI Garages across Australia.

The launch of the MINI brand in Australia coincided with the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, where the MINI Cooper enjoyed its worldwide motorsport debut in the Celebrity Race moments prior to the Formula One cars taking to the grid. That weekend more than 100 eager MINI Cooper owners took simultaneous delivery of their new cars around the country.

MINI brand vehicles have been on sale around the world for just over 16 months. More than 105,000 have been sold this year alone, beating the sales target set for 2002 three months early.

MINI has been a huge success in Australia, Britain, Germany, and Japan. Its introduction to the United States was met with such excitement and enthusiasm the year’s allocation of 20,000 cars was sold out within weeks.

Peter Young’s MINI Cooper S list of options:
· Lapis Blue and black leather interior
· Dynamic Stability Control
· Multi function steering wheel with cruise control
· Remote controlled alarm
· S-spoke light alloy wheels with 17-inch run flat tyres
· Electric glass sun roof
· Xenon headlights with washer system
· Automatic climate control
· Interior Light package (includes illuminated vanity mirrors and front reading lights)
· MINI navigation system