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Jack Pitney Named General Manager of MINI Brand

10 January 2001

    Woodcliff Lake, NJ - BMW of North America has appointed Jack Pitney as 
General Manager of the MINI brand.  Mr. Pitney, 38, was previously Manager of 
Corporate Communications for BMW of North America, a position he held for five 
years since joining the company in 1995.

    Mr. Pitney heads up a core MINI Sales and Marketing team which is responsible 
for bringing the brand to the US market in March 2002 in the guise of the MINI 
COOPER and the MINI COOPER 'S'.

    "I am thrilled to be leading the US MINI team at this very exhilarating
time.  Our job in the coming months is to introduce all new, very exciting
products, an all new brand and a new market segment, the small premium car,
into the US market," commented Pitney.  "The MINI brand is core to BMW
Groups' activities and the job is doubly exciting for me because I have a
very talented team supporting me and great products to work with."

    MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group and MINI products are made at
BMW Group's Oxford factory in Great Britain. In the US, MINI operates as a
division of BMW of North America LLC and has a dedicated sales and Marketing
operation.  MINI in the US will be sold through BMW affiliated dealers using
distinct sales environment and specialized sales staff. From a world-wide
volume of 100,000, approximately 20,000 will be sold in the US, with prices
expected to start below $18,000. 

    A new head of Corporate Communications for BMW of North America will be
announced later this year.