Photo: MINI
BMW knew that it had a long, rough road ahead when it bought the MINI brand back in the 20th century. Starting with 2001, they breathed new life into the iconic hardtop Cooper and today, the BMW Group and MINI celebrated the three-millionth car built in Oxford.
Only 13 years passed since the first rebranded MINI rolled off the assembly lines in the UK and we’re already at the three-million mark with 2 million of those cars being exported in more than 110 countries around the world.
In order to celebrate the event important members of the BMW Management Board were on the scene, including Harald Krüger, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production, and Peter Schwarzenbauer, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for MINI, BMW Motorrad, Rolls-Royce and Aftersales.
The BMW representatives were joined by Baroness Susan Kramer, British Minister of State for Transport, and Frank Bachmann, managing director of Plants Oxford and Swindon. The three-millionth car was a 5-door MINI Cooper S Hardtop sporting the UK’s Union Jack.
“The MINI brand has had strong ties to the UK for decades. Our MINI production in Oxford represents a commitment to the brand’s identity, firmly in line with our successful strategy of “production follows the market”. Oxford is the centre of our British MINI production network, with the Swindon pressings plant and the Hams Hall engine plant near Birmingham,” said Harald Krüger.
At the moment, the British plant makes the MINI, MINI 5-door, MINI Convertible, MINI Roadster and Coupe models while the Countryman and Paceman are made under license in the Netherlands, at the VDL plant.
“Today, we mark two important milestones for MINI. Three million MINIs produced, and two million MINIs exported from Oxford to customers worldwide. These are impressive figures and definitely a reason to celebrate. In markets big and small, MINI has always appealed to customers on an emotional level,” said Board of Management member Peter Schwarzenbauer.
Over the years, BMW invested £1.75 billion (€2.2 billion/$2.8 billion) in its British manufacturing facilities and the UK is now the second biggest market for the MINI brand and the fourth biggest for BMW brand automobiles.
In order to celebrate the event important members of the BMW Management Board were on the scene, including Harald Krüger, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production, and Peter Schwarzenbauer, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for MINI, BMW Motorrad, Rolls-Royce and Aftersales.
The BMW representatives were joined by Baroness Susan Kramer, British Minister of State for Transport, and Frank Bachmann, managing director of Plants Oxford and Swindon. The three-millionth car was a 5-door MINI Cooper S Hardtop sporting the UK’s Union Jack.
“The MINI brand has had strong ties to the UK for decades. Our MINI production in Oxford represents a commitment to the brand’s identity, firmly in line with our successful strategy of “production follows the market”. Oxford is the centre of our British MINI production network, with the Swindon pressings plant and the Hams Hall engine plant near Birmingham,” said Harald Krüger.
At the moment, the British plant makes the MINI, MINI 5-door, MINI Convertible, MINI Roadster and Coupe models while the Countryman and Paceman are made under license in the Netherlands, at the VDL plant.
“Today, we mark two important milestones for MINI. Three million MINIs produced, and two million MINIs exported from Oxford to customers worldwide. These are impressive figures and definitely a reason to celebrate. In markets big and small, MINI has always appealed to customers on an emotional level,” said Board of Management member Peter Schwarzenbauer.
Over the years, BMW invested £1.75 billion (€2.2 billion/$2.8 billion) in its British manufacturing facilities and the UK is now the second biggest market for the MINI brand and the fourth biggest for BMW brand automobiles.
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