BMW 2002 Annual Report Download - page 164

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32
Develop new segments
After an extraordinarily successful launch phase,
the goal of the BMW Group now is to consolidate
and further expand the success of the
MINI
. On its
way to this goal the company is supported by two
market trends. Firstly, the small car market is set
to grow by about 50 per cent over the next ten to
twelve years from the 8.4 million units sold in 2001.
And secondly, the market for premium products is
clearly growing faster than the total market.
Particu-
larly in the small car market, the number of customers
who will not compromise on safety, quality and driv-
ing characteristics is rising faster than average. The
same applies to the trend for individualisation of
the automobile. For these reasons, the BMW Group
is confident of being able to continue the success
story of the MINI in the coming years.
Experience the MINI production at the Oxford plant
online: www.MINI.com/manufacturing
MINI successful worldwide. More than 144,000 MINI
automobiles sold in the year 2002 speak for them-
selves: the
MINI
is well on its way worldwide, the
emotional positioning of the
MINI
brand and the
establishment of the premium small-car market
segment have been a success. Following all those
launches, some of them spectacular, the MINI is now
available in more than 70 markets around the globe.
In the MINI, the BMW Group has created a global
small car that is successful in Asia, Europe and North
America.
To meet the large demand for the MINI models,
capacity at the Oxford plant has been continuously
expanded. The
BMW
Group has invested some
£230 million, or around euro 340 million there.
During 2002 production capacity was increased step
by step, making use of flexible working schemes
to
cope with the heavy demand. The result: in the
year 2002 more than 160,000 vehicles of the MINI
brand ran off the line at the Oxford plant.
2002 saw the first additional investments at the
Oxford plant, which were geared to meet the high
demand for the Cooper and Cooper S models. One
example was the expansion of capacity for spraying
the roof in a second colour, as this is standard on the
MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S.
The vehicles of the MINI brand have allowed the
BMW Group to broaden its product range: the MINI
is a significant component in the product offensive
of the
BMW
Group. At the same time the
MINI
brand opens up additional growth potential for the
BMW
Group, widens the customer base, and so
contributes to the continuing success of the com-
pany.
More than 50 per cent of the customers who
opt for a MINI brand vehicle are completely new
customers for the BMW Group.