THE final Mini Clubman has rolled off the production line at the brand’s Oxfordshire plant after 55 years, marking the end of the road for the “icon”.
Parent company BMW confirmed the news with a statement bidding farewell to the model as well as taking a look forward to the exciting projects yet to come.
The final Mini Clubman has now rolled off production linesJake Ovington
Jake OvingtonThe model can trace its roots back 55 years[/caption]
Mini boss Stefanie Wurst announced back in September that the Clubman line, which serves as a luxury version of the classic original model, would not be renewed for another generation.
A Final Edition was released last year, but production has now shut down for good.
Dr. Markus Grüneisl, CEO of Plants Oxford and Swindon, said staff were “incredibly proud” to have been part of the model’s run, which dates back over 50 years to 1969.
The Clubman first appeared in its current form in 2007, reviving the name badge after it was initially discontinued in 1980.
Since then, over a million units have been produced and exported to over 50 countries, half of which came from the Oxford factory.
There was even a delivery van variant dubbed the Clubvan, introduced in 2013 as a callback to the Morris Mini Van back when the brand was under the ownership of British Leyland.
Five things to know about the Mini Clubman
First produced by British Leyland in 1969 until 1980
Revived under BMW ownership in 2007
Won Dog Friendly Car of the Year 2022
Latest version starts from £27,440
Set to be replaced by the electric Aceman this year
However, it has largely been squeezed out of the crossover SUV space by its own cousin, the Countryman, which has doubled the Clubman’s global sales in recent years.
As a result, the line has been cut in favour of the Countryman, as well as an upcoming EV replacement in the form of the Aceman.
The new model will be an all-electric crossover based on a stretched version of new Cooper EV, the petrol equivalent of which was also axed last year after a 65-year continuous production run.
The Aceman will be unveiled on April 24 and first deliveries will arrive by the end of 2024, though they will initially come from a new factory in China, before moving back to the Oxford site in 2026.
Meanwhile, Dr Grüneisl confirmed that the brand will put a separate convertible model into production at the plant by the end of this year.
On the discontinuation of the Clubman, he said: “We are incredibly proud to have built the Mini Clubman at Plants Oxford and Swindon over the last 18 years for customers all over the world.
“With its departure, we look ahead to welcoming members of the new Mini family to our Oxford and Swindon lines, including a new convertible model which we will start to produce at the end of this year.”
A BMW statement added: “As the Clubman’s half-century journey draws to a close, an electrifying new chapter begins with the continued launch of the new Mini family.
“Following the debut of the all-electric Mini Cooper and new Mini Countryman, 2024 promises to be another exciting year for Mini.
It comes after the motoring arm of Red Bull announced that it would release a hypercar that’s “the closest thing” to a road-legal F1 car.
BMW revived the Mini Clubman in 2007