MINI BRAND VEHICLES WIN ACCOLADES FOR HIGH RESALE VALUE: MINI USA accepts awards from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com and ALG

Los Angeles – December 2, 2009… MINI vehicles have long been known for maintaining their overall value, and the company is proud to accept multiple awards for resale and residual value during the LA Auto Show from both Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com and ALG.

“The resale value awards that MINI received this week further reinforce that a MINI brand vehicle purchase is a wise investment,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA. “It also demonstrates that the MINI speaks to the practical argument for buying one of the brand’s vehicles, as well as the emotional appeal of a MINI and the promise of a fun motoring experience.”

MINI brand vehicles won a total of three Best Resale Value Awards from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. The 2010 MINI Cooper Clubman was named Best Resale Value in its class for the compact car segment; while the 2010 MINI Cooper Clubman and 2010 MINI Cooper Hardtop are both named among the Top 10 cars with Best Resale Value according to Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

These latest honors from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com mark the seventh year in a row that a MINI Cooper vehicle has won in either the compact car, hatchback or convertible categories, and also the seventh time it has earned a spot in the overall list of Top 10 models.

MINI Cooper has also received the 2010 Residual Value Award for BEST SPORTY CAR from ALG. ALG’s 11th annual Residual Value Awards, for the 2010 model year, honored the vehicles in each industry segment that ALG predicts will retain the highest percentage of their original price after a three-year period.

“We believe Residual Value remains the best metric for evaluating the overall strength of an automotive brand, and we congratulate MINI for the proven success of their MINI Cooper model,” said James Clark, General Manager of ALG.  “The ALG Residual Value Awards are recognized throughout the industry and by consumers as the mark of a healthy brand; winning this award is a testament to an exceptionally strong product and all of us at ALG are pleased to recognize that accomplishment.”

In addition to the testament of third parties, MINI USA offers a solid backing for its used vehicles with the MINI NEXT program. Through any certified MINI dealer, customers can purchase a used MINI NEXT vehicle that has undergone significant testing and offers the peace of mind of a comprehensive warranty (up to two years and 50,000 miles) as well as roadside assistance, and assurance that only MINI authorized parts will be used to service the vehicle.

MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC which has been present in the United States since 1975.  Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 89 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:

www.bmwgroupna.com
www.miniusanews.com

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About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, has provided vehicle buyers and sellers with the new and used vehicle information they need to accomplish their goals with confidence. The company's top-rated Web site, www.kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the New Car Blue Book® Value, which reveals what people actually are paying for new cars. The company also reports vehicle pricing and values via products and services, including software products and the famous Blue Book® Official Guide. According to the C.A. Walker Research Solutions, Inc. - 2009 Spring Automotive Web Site Usefulness Study, kbb.com is the most useful automotive information Web site among new and used vehicle shoppers, and half of online vehicle shoppers visit kbb.com. Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com also is a W3 Gold Award winner, sanctioned by the International Academy of Visual Arts. Kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, car reviews and news, used car Blue Book Values, auto classifieds and car dealer locations. No other medium reaches more in-market vehicle shoppers than kbb.com.

About ALG (www.alg.com)
Based in Santa Barbara, California, ALG is a leading provider of data and consulting services to the automotive industry. ALG publishes the “Automotive Lease Guide” – the standard for Residual Value projections in North America, and has been forecasting automotive residual values for over 40 years in both the U.S. and Canadian markets. ALG is a company of DealerTrack Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRAK).