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100,000th MINI Produced - 05/30/2002
100,000th MINI Produced at BMW Group Plant Oxford
BMW GROUP, May 30, 2002 - The 100,000th MINI has come off the production line at BMW Group Plant Oxford today, 30 May, just 13 months after the car went into volume production.
The car, an electric blue MINI Cooper S, is one of more than 4,000 Cooper S models already ordered by UK customers even before the 163 bhp supercharged top-of-the range MINI goes on sale in the UK on 8 June. Following the launch of the MINI in the UK in July 2001, over 25,000 MINI One and MINI Cooper models have been sold in its home market.
Driving the MINI Cooper S off the production line, Dr Herbert Diess, managing director of BMW Group Plant Oxford, said: "It's great to reach this important production milestone on schedule thanks to the tremendous efforts of our employees at the plant. The reaction to the MINI has been astonishing and we are currently working seven days a week to meet customer demand. We have taken the decision to increase production from the originally planned 100,000 cars by around 15-20 per cent this year and we are also adding a MINI diesel model to the range in 2003."
Following MINI's successes in 2001 when it was awarded car of the year titles from the likes of Auto Express, Channel 4's Driven and The Sun, MINI Cooper S has already received rave reviews from the media for its impressive handling, performance and fun. The car stands out from the MINI range with redesigned sports bumpers and bonnet and a unique rear spoiler that all contribute to its performance.
In the UK, the £14,500 price tag includes standard specification additions over MINI Cooper such as sports seats, traction control, sports PLUS suspension, 6-speed gearbox with leather/chrome gearstick, leather steering wheel and 16" alloy wheels. Even with the added performance, however, MINI Cooper S retains the MINI tlc service pack for £100 that covers all standard parts and labour for 5 years or 50,000 miles.
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