Even though BMW sales are up 2.3% this year, the BMW Group as a whole is down by 0.1% through June. MINI and Rolls-Royce both suffered double-digit losses in deliveries compared to the January-June 2023 period. The company from Oxford saw demand drop by 18.7% to 114,054 units while the folks from Goodwood were down by 11.4% to 2,819 cars.
To a certain degree, MINI’s decline is understandable. The company has renewed almost its entire lineup, so it takes time for all markets to get the new vehicles. There’s typically some downtime before one generation is retired and the other starts its life. In theory, the sales numbers for the second half of 2024 should be better.
MINI still has a busy schedule up ahead since there are a few models we haven’t seen it yet. The John Cooper Works versions of the Cooper 3-Door models with gasoline and electric power are debuting before the end of 2024. In addition, we’ll also see an Aceman JCW. All three will break cover in the final quarter of the year. In addition, the MINI Convertible premieres this fall with gas engines. In a few years from now, there will allegedly be an electric convertible as well.
As for Rolls-Royce, it launched a mid-cycle update for its best-selling model, the Cullinan. Touted as being the world’s most luxurious SUV, the first high-riding RR should deliver stronger sales numbers in the remaining months of the year. That could help the ultra-posh brand diminish the sales gap compared to its record-breaking results in 2023 when it shipped 6,032 cars.
Of course, RR has never been about volume because the huge profit margins are more important. In 2022, the average buyer spent about €500,000 on a Rolls. We can only imagine a good chunk of that was pure profit for the BMW-owned brand.
Lastly, the BMW Group’s Motorrad division is nearly flat through June, with deliveries increasing by 0.2% to 113,072 units.
Source: MINI, Rolls-Royce
