UK SALES - MINI - More records broken at Oxford based car maker.

New MINI Hatch models drive British brand to new heights

• More than 53,600 MINI vehicles sold in the UK last year
• 28,000 MINI Hatch models sold in just nine months
• Fleet sales up 17 per cent with introduction of MINI 5-Door Hatch
• More than three million MINIs produced since 2001

MINI recorded record sales in the UK in 2014. In total, 53,661 MINI models found homes with UK buyers last year – 1,728 (3.3 per cent) more than the previous record set in 2013. MINI’s market share in the UK was 2.17 per cent, making it the biggest market for the brand in the world (by that measure).

The New MINI 3-Door Hatch, launched in March, continued to be the brand’s biggest seller. Alongside its all-new stablemate, the MINI 5-Door Hatch, more than 28,000 were sold last year (3-Door Hatch: 24,200 and 5-Door Hatch: 3,800). The introduction of the first-for-brand MINI 5-Door Hatch in October also saw a dramatic increase in the brand’s fleet sales – up 17 per cent year-on-year.

Elsewhere in the range, there was also a record sales year for the recently refreshed MINI Paceman. More than 4,000 were sold in 2014, which is 25 per cent more than the previous 12-month period. The Countryman had yet another strong year in the UK selling 14,169 units. 

While this isn’t a record sales figure for Countryman (14,864 were sold in 2013), it does prove that British buyers have truly taken the compact SUV to their hearts.

Chris Brownridge, Director, MINI UK, said: “This sales performance is all the more remarkable when you consider that the New MINI 3-Door Hatch – the mainstay of the MINI range – only launched in March 2014. When it arrived in showrooms, however, buyers couldn’t get enough of the iconic model.

“The great sales result last year takes the total number of MINIs sold in the UK since 2001 to nearly 600,000 – proving that the British love affair with the brand is not only alive and well, but blossoming.”

This momentum looks set to continue into 2015 with a UK order bank that’s 100 per cent larger than the same period last year and the global public unveiling of the MINI John Cooper Works at next week’s Detroit Auto Show.

Packing the most powerful engine ever for a production MINI – a 2.0-litre unit delivering 231 hp and 320 Nm – the JCW delivers 10 per cent more power and 23 per cent more torque than the previous model. This brings the 0-62 mph time down to 6.1 seconds.

MINI Production Information

• More than 3 million MINIs produced since 2001
• 2 Million MINIs exported from the UK with a value of nearly £30 billion
• Four out of five MINIs produced at MINI Plant Oxford are exported to customers in more than 110 countries around the world (biggest Export markets: USA, Germany, China, France, Italy, Japan) 

Investment & Employment

• The MINI UK production network – Plants Oxford, Hams Hall and Swindon – recently benefitted from £750 million investment. This included the installation of new, flexible, state-of-the-art production facilities to produce cars to individual customer order
• £1 billion total investment between 2000-2011
• BMW Group contributes £1.2 billion each year to UK GDP
• Employee numbers – Oxford 4,000, Swindon 800 and Hams Hall 800

Hams Hall produces three and four-cylinder engines for MINI and BMW brands. The Swindon plant is a pressing plant that produces parts and components for MINI.

Happy 60th Anniversary Aston Martin, here is to a bright, modern and supercar future.

Hundreds of VIP customers and guests were in Newport Pagnell on Friday last week (12 December) for the launch of Aston Martin Works’ 60^th anniversary celebrations.

More than 400 guests from across the UK and continental Europe made their way to the historic home of Aston Martin for the pre-Christmas party – which also marked the launch of the dealership’s exclusive 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Vanquish sports car.

Just six of the 60^th Anniversary edition Vanquish models – created by the Aston Martin design team and the brand’s bespoke personalisation service, Q by Aston Martin – will be built, and the majority have already been snapped up by collectors keen to own a piece of Works’ heritage. 

Stars of the show at the launch event in Buckinghamshire on Friday also included a number of the rarest and most sought-after Aston Martin models, with pride of place shared by cars selected to reflect the brand’s six decade-long association with Newport Pagnell.

Among the cars on display was an iconic Aston Martin DB5; the DBS which starred alongside Tony Curtis and Roger Moore in 70s TV show The Persuaders; and an original Vanquish – the last model to be made at the Newport Pagnell factory before production moved to the brand’s headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, in 2007.

Announcing the launch of the 60^th anniversary celebrations and revealing the limited edition sports car, Aston Martin Works Commercial Director, Paul Spires, said: “Designed by Marek Reichman and his team these limited edition Vanquish sports cars are a celebration of 60 glorious years of Aston Martin at Newport Pagnell.

“Strictly limited to just six cars, each one representing a decade of our operations here, these are truly ultra-rare collectors’ items and a fitting beginning to our year-long celebrations.”

Aston Martin Works will be holding a number of anniversary celebration events throughout 2015, and full details of all the activities will be announced over the months ahead.