- 200,000th 2005 MINI arrives in Australia
- More than 750,000 MINI hardtop and Cabrio models built since 2001
- Third model expected within three years
The Commonwealth Games may be little more than a month away but a Gold
Standard British Record Breaker has already made its mark in Australia.
Last year, the MINI factory in Oxford achieved its aim of producing more than
200,000 cars in one year, and that milestone model has arrived in Australia.
The 200,000th MINI built in 2005; a Pepper White MINI Cooper S Cabrio is now
in Sydney. To date, more than 750,000 MINI hardtop and Cabrio models have been
produced since production began in 2001.
By building more than 200,000 cars in one year (in 2005 a grand total of
200,400 MINI models rolled off the line), MINI success confirms the vision of
the BMW Group in creating the modern MINI brand.
Initial expectations of producing 100,000 cars a year were quickly overtaken,
as sales and orders for the MINI hardtop and in 2005, MINI Cabrio, blasted
through company projections.
The factory in Oxford has been expanded to cope with additional production
requirements and is only silent for five hours a week while regular maintenance
is carried out.
There are few car making plants in the world that can boast that high level
of production capacity utilisation. Unlike most other models, MINI sales
continue to grow, even in the fifth year of its model life.
In Australia, MINI sales in 2005 peaked at 2,103 cars, an increase of almost
40 percent on 2004 sales.
The youngest marque in the prestige sector already comfortably outsells
luxury, sporty brands from the UK, Italy and Germany that boast extensive
histories stretching back to practically the dawn of motoring.
And at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, MINI
announced it was planning to expand still further, introducing an exciting third
model within three years, to join the hardtop and Cabrio models.
For 2006, MINI in Australia has already launched two new models, the
luxuriously appointed MINI Park Lane and the extrovert and sporty MINI
Checkmate, which will sit alongside the regular and Chilli special equipment
models.
Of course, in true cheeky MINI style, both the MINI Park Lane and MINI
Checkmate can be ordered with the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine or the
high-performance supercharged 125 kW 1.6-litre engine.
Additionally, the sportiest MINI buyers may now option their MINI Cooper S
with the John Cooper Works Tuning Kit, direct from the factory. This delivers an
amazing 154 kW of power and 245 Nm of torque and rockets the hardtop models to
100 km/h in 6.6 seconds. The up-rated John Cooper Works performance Brake
Package is also fitted to these models.
The Tuning Kit is available on all MINI Cooper S models including MINI Park
Lane and MINI Checkmate.
Sports-minded buyers can opt for a wide range of performance enhancing
features from the factory-approved John Cooper Works range.
During 2006, MINI will make a return to motorsport in Australia and celebrate
the 40th anniversary of the mighty Mini Cooper S taking the first nine placings
in the 1966 Bathurst Great Race.
“MINI in Australia is delighted to welcome the 200,000th car built in 2005,”
says Justin Hocevar, National Manager MINI.
“As one of the most enthusiastic MINI markets in the world, it is fitting
that this remarkable milestone car comes to us.”
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