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BMW MINI: from 2001

The new generation of MINI first went on sale in the UK in July 2001. Over 50,000 people visited the UK's 150 MINI dealerships during the car's opening weekend to see the new MINI One and MINI Cooper.

The MINI Cooper S joined the ranks in the summer of 2002, with the MINI One D following in 2003. Also that year the first John Cooper Works tuning kits, which further enhances performance, were launched for the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S. 2004 saw the re-introduction of top-down MINI driving with the arrival of the phenomenally successful MINI Convertible. This was followed by the launch of the limited edition MINI One Seven, Cooper Park Lane and Cooper S Checkmate models in the autumn of 2005.

In summer 2006 the MINI GP, or to give it its full name, the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP kit, was launched. Of the limited 2,000 MINI GPs built at Plant Oxford, 459 stayed in the UK and were snapped up before they even went on sale. Summer 2006 also saw the end of production for the first generation MINI and in September 2006 production of the second generation MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S began.

This was followed in March 2007 with production of the second

generation MINI One and MINI Cooper D. A month later, in April 2007, the one millionth MINI rolled off the production line at Plant Oxford.

The latest MINI model, the MINI Clubman, went into production in September 2007, ahead of it going on sale throughout Europe in November 2007.

MINI is now sold in over 70 countries worldwide. The UK, USA, Germany, Italy and Japan make up the car's top five markets in 2007 and have been major contributors to the fact that in less than six years MINI has become the third largest motor manufacturer in the UK.

In the UK alone MINI has won best car or best small car awards from the likes of Auto Express, Car, The Times, The Independent, Channel 4's Driven, BBC Top Gear, News of the World, and The Sun.