Sales of BMW cars collapsed by more than 25 per cent in November, the luxury carmaker said today, as wealthy consumers around the globe responded to rapidly worsening economic news.

Vehicle sales across the group, which also includes the British-made Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, dropped by 25.4 per cent to 96,570 units.

The flagship BMW brand was worst affected with sales down 26.2 per cent. But sales of the Mini also fell 20.8 per cent while those of the luxury Rolls-Royce marque dropped 18.5 per cent.

The announcement was made as BMW’s Mini factory in Oxford prepares to shut down this weekend for a month to help clear stocks of unsold cars. The plant is due to close on Sunday until January 5.

Car sales around the world have plunged as consumers rein in spending as the economy weakens.

BMW said group sales during the first 11 months of this year had dropped nearly 2 per cent to 1.3 million vehicles.

It emerged yesterday that new UK car sales plunged in November for the seventh consecutive month, as the economic crisis continues to put a severe brake on transactions.

Car sales for November fell by 36.8 per cent, compared with the same month in 2007, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Just 100,333 new cars were registered in November, marking the steepest fall since June 1980.

The market for private car sales is particularly weak, down 45.1 per cent in November.

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