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WACKY, LIKE A FOX Goofy ads, variants help Mini rule its own little world 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  BMW, Mini's parent company, had forecast U.S. sales of 20,000 units of the original two-door in 2003, but 36,000 were sold. That was the beginning of Mini's surprising journey. And they quickly settled on an irreverent, even wacky, persona suited to buyers of what one dealership general manager calls "a happy car."... Read More »
GABE NELSON Audi gripes, but Tesla could be en route to niche-brand success 3:59 pm U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Audi wants to be clear: Just because the Tesla Model S is outselling Audi's flagship A8 in the U.S. luxury sedan market, it does not mean Tesla Motors is beating Audi.... Read More »
Mini's culture is as quirky as its cars 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Mini is owned by BMW, but there's a broad gulf between the prestigious luxury marque and the funky small-car brand.... Read More »
BMW global sales rise 7% in AprilMay 13, 2013 13:43 CET  BMW Group said today that sales of its BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands rose by 7 percent to 155,419 vehicles in April, an record high for the month.... Read More »
RICHARD JOHNSON Thatcher forged lasting imprint on Europe's luxury brands 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 9, 2013  Britain's auto industry changed dramatically under Maggie Thatcher's government. Her decision to allow foreign ownership of British carmakers set off a bidding war between General Motors and Ford.... Read More »
APRIL FOOLS' NEWS Today's innovations: In-vehicle hair care, dating app, more 2:31 pm U.S. ET | April 1, 2013  The auto industry was full of revolutionary technology and new product announcements today. Honda and BMW said they are carving out new niches by putting hair-care and dating technologies at busy drivers' fingertips. Subaru announced a new BRZ variant and Volvo heralded a new safety system.... Read More »
DAVE GUILFORD Why the next wave of Italians is important 12:56 pm U.S. ET | March 27, 2013  The next wave of Italians has arrived, as the wall at the Fiat stand here proclaims: The 500, 500c, 500e and 500L. You might argue there's only one Italian in U.S. Fiat stores -- the 500 -- and that until dealers get some more product, Fiat is extending the brand any which way it can. But there's another side to the proliferation of 500s.... Read More »
Ex-Audi sales boss to head Mini, Rolls 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 18, 2013  BMW Group has named former Audi sales chief Peter Schwarzenbauer as its board member in charge of Mini, Rolls-Royce, BMW motorcycles and group aftersales. Schwarzenbauer, 53, ran Audi's sales and marketing for more than four years.... Read More »
BMW appoints ex-Audi sales chief Schwarzenbauer chief of Mini, Rolls 8:26 am U.S. ET | March 14, 2013  BMW Group has hired Peter Schwarzenbauer, the former Audi sales chief, to head its Mini and Rolls-Royce brands and named Harald Krueger as its new head of production. Krueger succeeds Frank-Peter Arndt, who is leaving the company due to health reasons.... Read More »
BMW 2012 profit gains as China demand offsets Europe dropMarch 14, 2013 12:49 CET  BMW reported a 3.5 percent gain in 2012 profit as demand for the new 3-series sedan in China and the U.S. more than offset a market downturn in Europe. Earnings before interest and taxes rose to 8.3 billion euros ($10.7 billion) from 8.02 billion euros a year earlier.... Read More »
BMW names ex-Audi sales chief Schwarzenbauer boss of Mini, RollsMarch 14, 2013 14:26 CET  BMW Group has hired Peter Schwarzenbauer, the former Audi sales chief, to head its Mini and Rolls-Royce brands and named Harald Krueger as its new head of production. Krueger succeeds Frank-Peter Arndt, who is leaving the company due to health reasons.... Read More »
BMW's 2012 profits edge up as U.S., China offset Europe slump 6:49 am U.S. ET | March 14, 2013  BMW reported a 3.5 percent gain in 2012 profit as demand for the new 3-series sedan in China and the U.S. more than offset a market downturn in Europe. Earnings before interest and taxes rose to $10.7 billion, the company said today. BMW is targeting a third consecutive year of record deliveries in 2013.... Read More »
BMW brand regained luxury sales lead from Audi in FebruaryMarch 8, 2013 13:44 CET  BMW regained the luxury lead from Audi after its vehicle sales rose 7 percent to 114,908 last month as increased demand in China, the UK and Russia offset weakness in Germany and other parts of Europe.... Read More »
MAKE MEETINGS -- MINI Mini boosts marketing budget 30% 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 18, 2013 The 60 or so dealers at the first Mini make meeting held at a National Automobile Dealers Association convention were told to expect a bigger marketing budget this year and a redesigned Cooper hardtop next year.... Read More »
DIANA T. KURYLKO Why Mini’s make meeting was so important 3:13 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 10, 2013  Mini boosted sales 15 percent to a record 66,123 vehicles in the United States last year, more than Jaguar, Land Rover, Mitsubishi and Porsche -- and a few thousand units short of Volvo. Mini has come of age and it’s now a mature brand, says Jim McDowell, who heads Mini USA.... Read More »
New-generation Mini Cooper hardtop to be unveiled next week 2:55 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 9, 2013  Mini dealers will get a glimpse of the new-generation Cooper hardtop next week at a worldwide dealer meeting in Helsinki, Finland. The hardtop is scheduled to go on sale in March 2014 and is the first vehicle to be built on a BMW platform that will spawn 10 to 12 compact Mini and BMW front-wheel-drive models.... Read More »
Mini expects record sales this year 7:01 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 9, 2013  The Paceman, Mini's seventh model, will go on sale in the United States on March 16, said Jim McDowell, vice president of Mini USA. It's the only new Mini launching in 2013. McDowell told dealers the brand will set a sales record in 2013. In 2012, sales were 66,123, up 15 percent.... Read More »
BMW aims for record third year after January sales boostFeb. 8, 2013 11:02 CET  BMW said it aims for a third year of record sales in 2013 after January sales got off to a good start.... Read More »
Opel says it has 20,000 orders for AdamJan. 30, 2013 11:00 CET  Opel has received more than 20,000 customer orders since October for the new Adam minicar, a crucial product for the money-losing brand. Opel and GM need the Adam to be a success if it is to turn around its European business.... Read More »
Group 1 deal for Brazil's UAB Motors opens new frontier for growth 8:38 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 24, 2013  Group 1 Automotive's plan to acquire one of Brazil's largest dealership groups signals another frontier for the U.S. auto industry's expansion-minded publicly traded dealership groups. Until now, Group 1 and Penske Automotive Group have concentrated on Europe when it came to overseas acquisitions while joining their four big peers in selectively adding U.S. stores.... Read More »
LATEST LAUNCHES With the Paceman, Mini expands brand ambitionsJan. 18, 2013 06:01 CET  Mini executives admit they're not sure of their target customer for the new three-door Paceman, which is based on the Countryman SUV.... Read More »
BMW aims for record 2013 sales despite 'headwinds'Jan. 10, 2013 09:16 CET  BMW Group predicts 2013 will be an even better sales year than 2012, during which it sold a record 1.85 million vehicles worldwide. “We enter the new year with positive momentum and despite the prevailing headwinds in some markets, we aim to achieve another record year in sales in 2013," BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson said.... Read More »
With Adam, Opel hopes to prove it can build a money-making minicar in GermanyJan. 3, 2013 06:01 CET  Opel/Vauxhall is confident it can produce its new Adam minicar in Germany and still make money. "The way the car has been constructed gives us the possibility to build in Germany and still be profitable," Opel sales and marketing boss Alfred Rieck told Automotive News Europe.... Read More »
JAMIE LaREAU Mini gets a doggone good plug with canine cars 1:55 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 13, 2012  Using dogs to sell cars is nothing new. But using cars to sell dogs? That's a new one. As part of a marketing campaign for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Auckland, New Zealand, the group took a pair of abandoned pups and taught them how to drive a car.... Read More »
BMW car sales rise 23% in November on robust China demandDec. 10, 2012 11:42 CET  BMW Group increased global sales by 23 percent to 170,932 vehicles in November, a record for that month, powered by strong volume gains in China.... Read More »
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