It’s not often you hear an automotive executive express pleasure over a sales decline, especially at BMW AG, but Michael Ganal, member of the board of management, says he is “satisfied” with Mini’s global sales slipping 6.2% last year to 188,000.
That’s because, he makes clear, the slump had nothing to do with flagging demand. The auto maker lost significant production because Mini’s sole plant in Oxford, U.K., underwent major renovations to increase capacity from 200,000 to 240,000 units.
“As our British plant in Oxford runs a 24/7 operation, construction measures obviously have a serious impact on production output,” Ganal says. “This explains why, despite the decline, we are absolutely satisfied with the 2006 retail. It clearly exceeded our internal forecasts.”
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