According to AutoWeek, U.S. Mini dealers are down to a one-day supply of vehicles, and the factory doesn't see any near-term way to alleviate the shortage. So far this year, Mini sales are up 33.6%, resulting in a total depletion of the company's in-stock vehicles. While the factory is cranking out approximately 800 cars a day, the magazine says they're just keeping up with pre-ordered vehicles at this point. We like to take any "sold-out" news with the obligatory grain of salt; as such, we decided to take a quick look at some dealer websites in an attempt to find a Mini for sale.
Using three different zip codes from three different parts of the country (two major cities and Kansas City), we found that our metro Detroit Mini dealer had zero vehicles in stock; an ominous sign. However, an Atlanta dealership had ten in stock, but four of them were high-dollar JCW editions. Still, they count. Finally, our friendly KC-area dealer had a whopping 19 Minis in stock, but a big note at the top of the inventory page stating:
Our MINI's are Going Fast and Many of Our Cars are Already Spoken For - Call Now to Check for Availability!
So, sold out? Maybe not quite yet. But if you've got your eye on a Mini, it sounds like you'd be wise to act now or be ready to wait. [AutoWeek]