[AlanB]

USA: BMW is sending letters this week to the lucky 70 dealers that will have an opportunity to sell the new Mini Cooper. Prospective dealers were selected from a field of more than 200 dealerships interested in Mini franchises. BMW has 345 dealerships in the US but seeks only a handful of Mini dealerships due to limited availability (only 18,000-20,000 cars in the first year). BMW will release a list of the selected dealers in May, once the chosen few sign agreements to sell the cars.