ALLGBMINI

It’s all change for 2008 … MINI USA has changed their press reporting of sales figures, now showing just a monthly total for “hardtop”, “convertible” and “clubman” variants and no longer distinguishing MC / MCS / etc … So I’ve had to change my MINI sales figures web page to match.

One number that immediately jumps out in the new simpler format, is the drop in sales for the convertible (2006, 2007), after a peak in 2005 – I would guess that it’s due to increased convertible competition in the same price range:

Although Vin has now left MINI of Peabody and gone to BMW, he of course still loves MINIs, and told me today of an article in Massachusetts Auto Dealer October 2007, a nice write-up about MINI of Peabody (see also an article written in the same publication a few years ago).

The article discusses the success of the “small dealership”, reporting them as “the number one franchise in the United States” (clarifying “since 2002 the dealership has sold more than 4,000 MINIs, the most of any MINI dealership in the US“):

It’s a great article, talking as much about the MINI culture as about selling MINIs at the dealership:
… the psychographic of MINI customers: statement-makers, outside-of-the-box thinkers, an artistic group that’s typically very fun and interactive [?]
… much of the success comes from repeat business; the dealership has customers on their fifth MINI … [!]
… customers love the dealership …
MINI is more than a romance, it’s nearly a religion

There’s also a great side box about Hrach, an unabashed full-blown Mini-holic, a Mini legend

I wonder what other Massachusetts dealerships make of this article?! 😉