This Time it’s the Sunday Mirror

There’s been several accounts of plans to expand BMW Group Plant Oxford lately, the most recent has appeared online at The Sunday Mirror’s website. The report begins:

“BRITAIN’S new Mini is so successful that its makers BMW want to build an extra assembly line in the Green Belt.

New figures show 95,168 Minis have been sold worldwide in the first half of 2004 - up nearly six per cent on last year. Now the old plant is nearing its 200,000 car-a-year
limit.”

Not sure I’d class the heavily redeveloped plant as “old”, but it’s just another report that backs the steady flow of such rumours and articles that the MINI will continue to be
built solely at Oxford. Full story link below.

At the same time, BMW has recently reported that they have now delivered over 440,000 MINIs to customers!

Their press information site states that in the small car segment, the MINI has become firmly established as a premium automobile in the third year of its production.440,732 units have already been handed over to customers since the market launch in July 2001.

In the first six months of 2004, 95,168 MINI have left the dealerships worldwide (plus 5.9% / prev.yr: 89,881). Dr. Michael Ganal (Member of the Board of BMW AG who is responsible for Sales and Marketing): “MINI is an absolute hit. Its success confirms the concept - more and more customers choose
a premium car, which does not mean it has to be a big car”.

He also adds “Introducing the MINI Convertible, we are now taking the first step in enlarging the MINI range”.