Mighty Mini reaches 1.5 million milestone.
Despite the well-documented ailments afflicting the automotive industry this year, there was cause for celebration at the Mini factory in Oxford last week as the one-and-a-half-millionth model of the new version of the iconic British hatch left the plant’s lines.
The Mini, which also celebrates its 50th birthday this year, was relaunched in its modernised and more powerful form by BMW in 2001. One and half million of the new model have now been produced in Oxford, after 5.3 million of the original range were made and sold between 1959 and 2000.
The milestone model was a red Mini Clubman.
“This is a great day for the plant and a wonderful milestone to reach in the 50th birthday year of the Mini,” said BMW board member Ian Robertson.
“The very first classic Mini rolled off the production line here at this plant on May 8, 1959.
“This is a tough time for the car industry and no business is immune from its challenges. But Mini is an extremely resilient brand with huge customer appeal and we have seen a strengthening order bank in recent months.
“We will launch a number of new models in the coming years and we are optimistic for the future.”
The Mini has avoided the depths of despair suffered by many of its four-wheeled fellows and continues to sell well. In June it registered 4,665 sales in Britain, making it the sixth bestselling vehicle in the month.
BMW took the opportunity of the 1.5 millionth Mini to declare that it has invested £380m in the Oxford plant since 2001.
