MINI Is 5

MINI went on sale five years ago this week, and 100 awards later has proven to be the success story of the decade….

This week MINI will reach its fifth anniversary since the car first went on sale on Saturday 7 July 2001. The launch created a storm and the car introduced a new level of quality to the small car market. MINI became an instant global success.

Andy Hearn, MINI UK General Manager, said: “MINI’s instant UK hit has been mirrored around the world, from South Korea to Spain, the US to China. The car’s design, great driving dynamics and ownership experience set it apart from the competition. Five years on, MINI is still winning group tests against new competitors, and quality and safety are second-to-none.”

Dr Anton Heiss, Managing Director BMW Group Plant Oxford, said: “It is not just the high quality of vehicles produced here but also the customer focus and production flexibility that have played such a major role in the car’s success. Year-on-year we have produced record production figures. The 100 million pound investment programme currently underway will allow us to increase production flexibility and capacity further and meet the growing worldwide demand for MINI.”