Britain’s booming Mini marked a big new production milestone today as German parent-company BMW celebrated the three-millionth model built during its ownership – but announced that more would have to built abroad. The UK factory is bursting at the seams so additional production will take place in Holland.
But Britain will remain the ‘heart’ of production, they insisted as car number 3 million – a brand new brand new five-door Hatch Cooper S – rolled off the production line complete with patriotic Union Jack paintwork and Transport Minister Baroness Kramer in the front seat.
To celebrate the moment, Mini published a fascinating time-lapse film showing how the car is built from scratch. Two out of three Minis – more than two million in total – have been exported to more than 110 markets on every continent over the last 13 years
The USA is the biggest market followed by UK, Germany, China and France, with the combined value of exports from UK approaching £30bn
Harald Kruger, the head of production for the German car making giant declared that as Mini sales continue to grow globally, its ‘heart’ will always be in the UK and that the Plant Oxford the number one production base. But extra capacity is needed and production was needed abroad.
BMW recently took over a former Mitsubishi and Volvo factory in Born, Holland, which will take up any additional capacity as the Oxford factory approaches peak production at 260,000 vehicles a year.
Production at Oxford, which employs 4,000 people, has been around the 170,000 a year mark over the last couple of years as older Mini models have been phased out and new ones ramped up. Herr Kruger said that capacity could be reached next year or by 2016.
The Oxford factory, which has been producing Minis since the first ever one rolled out in 1959, will then hit the buffers with no more room for expansion. Herr Kruger said: ‘The factory in Holland will then take up additional assembly, but Oxford will remain number one. It will always remain at full capacity and we have no plans to build Mini anywhere else. The heart of Mini is in the UK.’
Herr Krüger insisted: ‘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.’
Transport Minister Baroness Kramer pointing out to workers and BMW bosses that car production in the UK is outstripping the boom years of the 1980s, she added: "Last year exports of British-built cars totalled £24.8bn, up from £12bn in 2004.
BMW recently invested £750million ahead of the launch of its latest models including a new 1,000-robot bodyshop at Oxford and laser welding at Swindon and at its Hams Hall engine plant.
As well as employing a total of 8,000 people in the country, it spends more than £1billion every year with British suppliers. Of the three million Minis made since 2002, more than two million have been exported to 110 countries with the USA the biggest market with more than 70,000 sales last year.
The two millionth export Mini to leave the Oxford plant was a Volcanic Orange MINI Hatch which is currently making its way across the ocean to its new customer in Japan
A company spokesman said: ‘It is a true British export success story with drivers in more than 110 markets falling in love with the famous marque from USA to Uruguay and Turkey to Taiwan. In the intervening 13 years, the MINI range has grown from one to seven models meaning that the brand can now offer a car to cater for all tastes and requirements.’
Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: “I congratulate the workers at Mini Plant Oxford on reaching this remarkable milestone. The Mini is a British icon and is a major part of a thriving automotive industry spearheading the growing British economy.
‘This government is working to create the right environment for car manufacturers like BMW to continue innovating and developing British-made cars with worldwide appeal.’
Frank Bachmann, the managing director of Mini Plants Oxford and Swindon, said: “Everyone here is proud to be celebrating these two great milestones. The complexity of producing Minis for individual customers in more than 110 markets around the globe is a real testimony to the expertise of our workforce.’
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