Mr Cowdrey came from Los Angeles to pick up the landmark Mini

Dan Cowdrey, 35, from Los Angeles, was waiting with girlfriend Kasondra Kenning to pick up the �15,000 silver Mini Cooper S at the factory in Cowley.

He said: "I have been in love with the Mini marque for years."

BMW began production of the Mini in 2001 and has hit the half-million mark two years faster than was predicted.

Mr Cowdrey added: "It's such a beautiful car. My aunt had one of the old-style Minis and I've always wanted one myself."

The Mini has proved a great British manufacturing success - the car seems to go from strength to strength Dr Anton Heiss, BMW

He was presented with the car by the plant's managing director Dr Anton Heiss, and by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East.

Dr Heiss said: "The car seems to go from strength to strength and there is no sign of our order book dropping off at all.

"The Mini has proved a great British manufacturing success."

The 1.6-litre car is available in a number of styles - including the basic Mini, the Mini Cooper and the convertible, which was launched in July.

Nearly all 6,500 convertibles allocated for the UK this year have been sold.

The original Mini first went on sale in 1959 and more than five million were sold up to October 2000 when Rover, then owned by BMW, ceased production at Longbridge in Birmingham.

BMW revived the marque the year after, producing a bigger, more powerful version.

The plant now produces 174,000 Minis a year - about 600 every working day - making German-owned BMW the country's fifth largest car manufacturer.

Three in four are for export, with the US the biggest overseas customer.