Mini milestone hits Sydney

BMW’s Mini factory in Oxford bettered its target of producing 200,000 vehicles last year by 400 units – and the 200,000th example (a Pepper White Cooper S) is now in Sydney.

More than 750,000 Mini hatch and cabrio models have been produced since 2001, easily surpassing BMW’s initial projections of 100,000 sales annually and keeping the factory busy for all but five hours a week while regular maintenance is conducted.

Now in the fifth year of its model life, the new-generation Mini attracted 2103 customers in Australia last year – an increase of 40 per cent on 2004 figures.

Mini confirmed at the Detroit show in January that a third model will be offered within three years, and Mini’s Park Lane and Checkmate "character" variants will be officially launched in Australia next week.