Current MINI Hatch production ends

MINI has built over 1 million examples of the second-generation MINI Hatch, but now the very last one has left the production line in Oxford.

It will soon be replaced by an all-new – and much larger – third-generation MINI Hatch, which was launched to the press and public at the Oxford Plant on 18 November 2013.

New 2014 MINI revealed in pictures

On Bing: see pictures of the MINI Hatch

Unlike Lamborghini, which announced the end of Gallardo production earlier this week, MINI has neglected to tell us what kind of Hatch the final model was.

But if that picture is anything to go by, it would appear the last mk2 MINI hatchback is a sharp little Cooper S in a coincidentally similar shade to the final Gallardo.

A total of 1,041,412 examples of this MINI were built during its lifetime, between 2006 and 2013.

That’s a large part of the 1,863,289 MINI Hatches constructed overall, since brand owners BMW reintroduced the marque in 2001.

The Cowley Plant in Oxford where the MINI Hatch is made has produced more than 2.4 million vehicles during this time, a total which includes Cabriolet, Clubman, Coupe and Roadster models as well.

Underlining the second-gen MINI Hatch’s popularity, it represented some 14% of all cars built in the UK during 2014, and made up 14% of the number exported in that year. Not bad for a tiddler.

Production of the all-new MINI Hatch mk3 is now set to begin in earnest, ahead of the start of sales in 2014. You can find out more about the new MINI’s pricing and specifications by reading our report from the launch.

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By motoringresearch.com