End of the highway for Mini’s property automotive: Production ends after 55 years
- Mini’s property bloodline runs again to the early Sixties and the unique Traveller
- Having stopped making an property in 1970, BMW revived the Clubman in 2007
- Final model emerged from Plant Oxford – new Aceman EV crossover replaces it
Mini’s UK manufacturing unit has produced the model’s final property automotive as it’s set to get replaced by a brand new electrical SUV.
The closing Mini Clubman has emerged from the Plant Oxford meeting line, placing an finish to 17 years of output since BMW relaunched the nameplate.
The transfer additionally alerts the top of the highway for Mini estates courting all the best way again to 1960 and the long-lasting Traveller, with the Clubman making means for the forthcoming battery-powered Aceman crossover.
Mini says goodbye to the property: The final Clubman has come off the manufacturing line at Plant Oxford, signalling the top of a bloodline that dates again to 1960
The unique Mini property was initially launched because the Morris Mini Traveller in 1960. It was up to date because the Clubman in 1969 (pictured)
The Clubman – as we have come to know lately – first went on sale in 2007 because the estate-bodied model of the Mini hatchback.
Its bloodline goes again some 64 years.
The unique Mini property was initially launched because the Morris Mini Traveller in 1960.
It was up to date because the Clubman in 1969 after which renamed the 1000HL earlier than being axed in 1970 till the identify and property physique was reborn by BMW in 2007.
Keeping with the custom of the unique estates, two generations of BMW Mini Clubmans have featured a pair of barn-style boot doorways – a singular characteristic to this automotive within the final 20 years.
While the sixties originals had been two-door fashions, BMW’s first try at a compact property was a unusual three-door variant, with one rear door on the nearside of the automotive.
While this was useful for kerbside entry and exit in international locations the place motorists drive on the fitting, it wasn’t rebodied for the UK market and – consequently – was purchased in far smaller numbers than the traditional hatchback.
Both the unique Austin Seven Countryman and Morris Mini Traveller had been two-door fashions with a pair of barn-style boot doorways on the again
BMW relaunched the Clubman in 2007 and retained the hinged pair of rear doorways as a nod to the unique Mini estates
The first-generation BMW Mini had a unusual single rear door – the one downside was it was on the roadside for British clients and never the kerbside, which restricted its attraction
Pictured: The final Mini Clubman to return off the Plant Oxford meeting line in latest days. The second-generation BMW Mini Clubman reverted to a extra standard four-door format
The second-generation Clubman, launched in 2015, rectified this subject with a extra standard four-door design.
Its demise comes as the recognition of conventional property automobiles has gone into decline, particularly on account of elevated demand for SUVs fashions, as highlighted in This is Money unique evaluation of the brand new automotive market over the past decade.
In truth. the Clubman has stood nearly alone within the small property automotive phase for the final three years, particularly for the reason that culling of the few rivals that had current in the marketplace, together with Seat’s Ibiza ST and Skoda’s Fabia Estate.
The solely rival to the Mini on sale as we speak is Dacia’s Jogger – the smallest seven-seat mannequin bought in Britain, which is an property model of the Sandero supermini.
The Clubman’s demise is a results of dwindling demand for conventional property automobiles and extra drivers wanting SUVs
Employees at Plant Oxford stand alongside the ultimate Clubman property to return off the meeting line in latest days
The Clubman has been manufactured on the model’s Cowley facility because it first went on sale as a part of Mini’s revival of its vary.
Over 1.1 million Clubman automobiles have been created in complete, with over half of these being constructed on the Oxfordshire manufacturing unit.
The finish of the highway for its manufacturing will permit for Plant Oxford’s upcoming regeneration.
It is because of be upgraded as a part of a mixed £600million funding from BMW and the UK authorities to transform it to an EV manufacturing facility.
Commenting on the top of manufacturing, Dr. Markus Grüneisl, ceo of Plant Oxford and the Swindon panel-making facility, mentioned: ‘We are extremely proud to have constructed the Mini Clubman at Plants Oxford and Swindon over the past 18 years for patrons all around the world.
‘With its departure, we stay up for welcoming members of the brand new Mini household to our Oxford and Swindon strains, together with a brand new convertible mannequin which we are going to begin to produce on the finish of this 12 months.’
This is the Clubman’s alternative – the Aceman crossover. The EV is noticed right here throughout closing hot-weather testing
With 4 doorways, a big tailgate and room for 5 inside, the Aceman is because of sit between the Mini Cooper and Mini Countryman
The Clubman’s alternative, the Aceman, has just lately been noticed testing – although closely disguised forward of its full unveiling in a couple of months’ time.
With 4 doorways, a big tailgate and room for 5 inside, the Aceman is because of take the Clubman’s spot by sitting between the Mini Cooper and Mini Countryman because the third stand-alone mannequin in Mini’s new all-electric household.
It will likely be supplied solely with an all-electric powertrain and 54.2 kWh battery.
The new Aceman will likely be constructed initially in China, underneath a three way partnership with Chinese carmaker Great Wall.
A short historical past of the Mini property
Pictured: A 1962 Mini Traveller Super Luxe model
Featuring an extended chassis and distinctive barn-style rear doorways, the unique Traveller supplied extra house and practicality over the traditional Mini
The Clubman silhouette dates again to the early Sixties, when Mini’s proprietor, British Motor Corporation (BMC), launched two property variations of the unique Mini: the Austin Seven Countryman and Morris Mini Traveller.
Featuring an extended chassis and distinctive barn-style rear doorways, each fashions supplied extra house and practicality.
Alongside the Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet – which had been longer, extra luxurious saloon variations of the Mini – these automobiles paved the best way for the primary Mini Clubman.
Pictured: A 1962 Austin Seven Countryman
In 1967, British Motor Holdings (beforehand BMC) got down to streamline the Mini portfolio, hiring famend designer Roy Haynes to mix attributes from all 4 fashions right into a single automotive: the Mini Clubman.
The closing design was way more angular and featured a particular entrance nostril, which was 10cm longer than the unique Mini.
In the top, three manufacturing automobiles had been based mostly on the Clubman, with the primary automotive debuting in 1969 as a saloon, adopted by the Clubman Estate a 12 months later.
The unique Mini Clubman property emerged in 1970. This picture exhibits a 1973 automotive
The third was the 1275 GT, which didn’t bear the Clubman identify however did share its distinctive nostril and was famed for its motorsport profession.
The seventies introduced new options together with a extra highly effective, 45bhp engine and facet stripes.
Proceeding to dominate the automotive marketplace for over a decade, nearly 600,000 Mini Clubman had been produced – together with 197,000 Estates – earlier than it completed manufacturing in 1982 underneath the 1000HL Estate moniker.
