This week, BMW Group published provisional sales results for the year that just ended. Our focus so far has been on the core brand and its record-breaking M division. If you’re wondering how the other subsidiaries fared in 2025, the picture is mixed. MINI enjoyed a tremendous boost in deliveries over the past 12 months, while Rolls-Royce posted a slight decline.
Although MINI sales rose by 17.7% to 288,290 units, the figure is still a far cry from the brand’s all-time high. Back in 2017, the Oxford-based marque shipped 372,194 vehicles to customers worldwide. Whether BMW’s British arm can come close to those numbers again in the coming years remains to be seen.
Not offering the electric Cooper and Aceman in the United States is certainly weighing on sales to some extent. In 2025, roughly a third of all MINIs sold worldwide were fully electric, highlighting how the U.S. is missing out on two key EVs. That’s especially notable considering the BMW iX1 and iX2 are also forbidden fruit stateside.
At Rolls-Royce, 2025 was a so-so year. Shipments dipped by 0.8% to 5,664 vehicles. Unsurprisingly, the Cullinan remained the brand’s best-selling model. More unexpectedly, the fully electric Spectre coupe finished second, ahead of the Ghost. Looking back, Rolls-Royce’s strongest year was 2023, when one-percenters bought 6,032 luxobarges.
Of course, Rolls-Royce isn’t about volume. The brand relies on profit margins far higher than those of any BMW or MINI on sale today. Despite the minor sales drop, 2025 was likely a profitable year, as demand for special commissions doubled compared to the previous year. Heavily customized vehicles command higher prices, so even with lower volumes, Rolls-Royce has little reason for concern.
Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see whether BMW Group begins listing ALPINA sales separately. The rights to the brand name were acquired in 2022, but the first model of the new era won’t be unveiled until later this year. Based on the facelifted 7 Series, it’s unlikely to reach customers before 2027. There’s more to come as the second-generation X7 will also receive the ALPINA treatment. Both the sedan and SUV are expected to offer a mix of gasoline engines and electric drivetrains.
The two ALPINA models are expected to bridge the gap between the 7 Series and X7 on one side and the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Cullinan on the other. With the separate brand, BMW aims to go head-to-head with Mercedes-Maybach by offering fully loaded versions of its flagship models, sprinkled with a distinctive dose of ALPINA magic.
