While perusing dealers' inventory of new Minis on the internet I see that they list each car with their stock number. Does anyone know the significance of the numbers? To be more specific, are the numbers assigned in sequence thus showing the order in which the car entered their inventory?

I think my reason may be obvious. Although there's no expiration date as on a loaf of bread, other things being equal, I would rather pick the newer car. You may have noticed that it's not unusual to see a car that has been in stock for many months.

 

it is a number they use to identify the car other than using the VIN.

Yes, they are sequential... so higher number = more recent arrival.

Keep in mind that a higher number does not always mean a newer car... a particular car might have been sitting at the VPC for a long time, or could have been a dealer trade from another dealer that had the car for a long time. The best way to see the age of the car is to see the production date inside the door.

 

for what it is worth

when buying a car I often look for one that HAS been on the lot a long time. THIS car is costing the dealer money and they are often more willing to deal on the price to move something stuck on the books.

Find an orphan and hit at the end of the business quarter and dealers can be very anxious to move that piece of inventory.

Less an issue with MINI as they tend to move fast anyway but something to keep in mind.