Pour one out for the MINI Clubman because the six-door contraption is officially no more. The final example of the quirky wagon with its barn doors has been assembled at Plant Oxford. Since sitting underneath the BMW Group’s corporate umbrella, MINI made 550,00 units of the modern Clubman. The R55 generation was sold from 2007 until 2014 when it made way for the F54.
The original Clubman is much older than that, having been introduced in 1969. In total, more than 1.1 million vehicles have been built in 55 years and exported to over 50 countries worldwide. The model’s demise was predictable since MINI launched a Final Edition in 2023 as a last hurrah for a small car with a big personality.
A direct replacement isn’t planned because the Clubman was never a big commercial success for the BMW Group. Instead, MINI is launching the Aceman this year as a five-door crossover variant of the new electric Cooper three-door hatchback. The new model will become the brand’s first EV-only model and will be initially produced in China by Spotlight Automotive – a 50:50 joint venture between the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor.
Come 2026, Plant Oxford will kick off production of the Aceman but also of the second-generation Cooper E/SE electric hatch. The crossover’s world premiere is scheduled to take place on April 24. Initially, the model will not be sold in the United States since the cars built at the Zhangjiagang factory in Jiangsu Province are not destined for the US. However, that might change in 2026 when the Aceman will begin to roll off the assembly line in Oxford.
While it’s sad to see a car with character being replaced by yet another crossover, the people have spoken, and they want EVs and SUVs, which the Aceman is both. If the Clubman had been popular, it would still be here. From around 2030, MINI will only sell electric vehicles, so the Clubman is one of several ICE cars to get the proverbial axe until the end of the decade.
Source: MINI
