Production of Mini’s Clubvan, the cargo van version of the Clubman, has finished less than two years after its launch in 2012.
The move comes despite the manufacturer claiming the Mini Clubvan sold successfully in the UK, and put the blame on the Clubvan not succeeding in other markets.
“In the UK, the Clubvan exceeded expectation and more than met the sales targets for the domestic market”, announced a Mini spokesman. “Outside the UK, it didn’t perform quite as well. For example in the US, only 50 units were sold”.
All new Clubvan due?
It remains to be seen whether the Oxfordshire based manufacturer will replace the iconic car derived van when they launch the all new Clubman in 2015.
Although Mini will neither confirm nor deny if a commercial variant is part of the plan, the first Clubvan was only launched five years after the passenger car version. This means it could take a while before we see a van version, especially as the company is focussing on fulfilling orders on new passenger Minis.
“Mini’s only assembly facility, at Cowley in Oxfordshire, is currently running at full capacity and we have to be certain that each model can meet their targets”.
Clubvan Appeal
Mini introduced the Clubvan in 2012, citing one of the main motives as the popularity of the original Mini Van in the sixties, which managed to rack up sales of over half a million. The latest Clubvan didn’t quite emanate that success, mainly because, unlike the original Mini Van and all of the vans of today, it failed to attract big fleet contracts.
The Clubvan’s distinctive appearance, however, made it a great alternative to the traditional car-derived-van market for many fashionable businesses, like high-end caterers, florists and boutiques. While its carrying capacity was clearly limited, it can prove a unique way to promote a business as Foxtons estate agents proved with the Mini hatchback.
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