Take a look at the sales figures for the past 5 years. Not good. Sure the economy has been bad, but these are not healthy numbers. Some are saying that Fiat has stolen some sales from MINI, but that explanation doesn't explain 2008 - 2010 declines.

If you only sell 40,000 units out of 100+ dealerships how do you survive?

So, will BMW start selling MINIs out of their dealers? Expand dealer network? Close dealerships?

When I first joined NAM there was a thread about the Countryman killing the brand. I don't think the numbers support that idea but .......

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01...s-figures.html

One thing for sure, with these kind of sales figures MINI needs to make some real money on each unit they sell.

 

I love these cars, but.....The quality of these cars is notoriously junk bond. Also pricey for a small car, given the first statement.

 

2008-2010 = recession / depression.... no one bought anything

 

Mini is not at all in trouble. Mini is part of a larger and very health car company BMW. It was never designed to be a major car company that had sales numbers like Ford. In fact the factories that makes these cars is running at capacity. BMW just announced that it is investing a pile of cash in increasing the capacity.

At the end of the day if your factory is running at capacity, and the cars are not stacking up on the lots then you are a huge WIN, you are selling what you are making.

 

Post-recession 2011-12 sales trends would suggest that MINI is the opposite of in trouble. The Countryman appears to be a big part of that, as seen in the July sales figures:

http://www.motoringfile.com/2012/08/...t-10-for-july/

 

You need to look at global sales and not just US/Canada. There's an entire world out there. As someone above mentioned, MINI is running at capacity and selling every car they make.

There may be individual dealerships that aren't doing so well, but MINI as a whole is doing fine.

 

From what I've read recently, I think the Mini brand is just the opposite. Cars are selling before they can make them. The Countryman is opening the brand up to people that likely wouldn't have purchased a Mini (myself included) and they are looking to add plants for the brand.

I think the BMW brand is having a slight trouble at the moment, and I think they're counting on expanding the Mini brand to counteract that.

 

My actual concern is how many units does a dealer need to sell to maintain the cash-flow necessary to run a quality operation. My local dealer (less than 5 miles from my house) is doing fine -- actually expanding and has plans to make a major investment in a new building. But is the average of less than 35 units a month enough to keep a dealer's doors open?

 

They also sell used cars.......and they make money on service and parts.

 

Those numbers are only for cooper. They are much better if you include clubman and countryman sales numbers.

And like the what minidave said, include used, service and parts, they are generally doing pretty good.

 

Keep the faith, Retired Rev, keep the faith!


Mini will do just fine. They have found a niche in the market and as long as they don't "expand" into making a bunch of different models the mini will remain profitable.

They should also take a page from the Volkwagon concept: Keep the basic shape but spend their time making the models they have the best!

 

Short-term Mini is doing fine, although questionable styling and continuing serious quality-control issues are eventually going to take their toll.

Long-term, I think they've got to move rapidly into new niches if they want to avoid the kind of irrelevance that typically happens with retro car lines that rely more on character and funkiness that real value. They're trying, but I don't see a clear indication that they have a long-term transition strategy that is sustainable. There's also the danger that BMW, in trying to defray development costs by using the same platform across multiple car lines, will become a direct competitor to Mini and cannibalize sales, making Mini as a separate entity non-viable. (The whole idea of a FWD car carrying the BMW rather than the Mini nameplate seems crazy to me.) It has happened in the past.

We'll see. I know I have not been interested in any Mini since the R53. While they drive great, they look too weird and cartoonish, the interiors are gimmicky and function poorly, they're not very reliable, and they're damn expensive for what you get. You'd really have to be into the Mini thing to choose a MCS over a Focus ST or GTI.

- Mark

 

I was under the impression that it has always been Mini's business plan to keep supply down in the US by limiting the number of sales (build slots) in order to keep demand and prices high. Worked on us, eh?

 

Cars sold in the us are actually sold at a lower markup....that with the fact the euro~us$$ conversion has been anything but stable...
Cars sold worldwide for mini has never been better ....heck look at ALL MODELS...looking at one model is a writers way trying to push an agenda.
Mini is adding factories.....due to volume limitations on their current assembly plants in england/Austria ...that says it all....others are closeing plants, mini is building!!

 

My bad, I didn't include Countryman sales. So it's 47 units/month per dealer. Still not great numbers. It does explain why they sell pretty close to MSRP -- they have to!

 

Mini is not just selling car, they are promoting a culture and instilling passion. Priceless

 

Agreed. Dealerships do a smart job of marketing to current owners between purchases by participating in online forums, hosting social events, sponsoring community activities, etc. Many aren't specifically marketing events, but serve the purpose by keeping themselves in the front of the owner's mind.

 

This is were the real money is, in used cars, they give you bare min for your trade in, and then sell it for 2 to 4 grand over what they gave you.

 

Also service is a money maker, both in customer work and in warranty $ from MINI/BMW.

Selling new cars is just a way to get the money to flow from the other stuff.

 

Also one thought....
selling about 2 cars per bussiness day, in a brand that is growing, expanding its line, and also getting paid for all work on the car for the first 3 years...not bad when you look at the $$ on the difference on dealer mx vs 3 rd party....safe to say most dealers are making $$, and doing very good for a down economy.
MINI is a nitch brand...it is where it wants to be. They are not trying to be a volume dealer, so to compare it to such is simply nutz!! It is a boutique car dealer....their volumes and margins reflex this.

 

I don't know about that. I've owned many makes/models in the past and each have their inherent weak points. From my experience and what I've seen no one model is "better" than the other.

 

No, they sell that high because they can. If you don't pay it, the next guy will. If they were having trouble moving units, you'd see bigger discounts.