Mini crosses three million production milestone
The new Mini, which was relaunched after BMW took over in 2001, has now crossed a sales milestone of 3 million units produced. The Mini Plant Oxford played host to the three millionth milestone and the occasion also marked the plant’s two millionth international export. The three millionth Mini to be produced is a 5-door Hatch Cooper S and has a special exterior design to celebrate its heritage and its British roots.
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Mini brand is now being exported to over 110 international markets with USA being it biggest market, followed by UK, Germany, China and France.
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."
Mini’s three plants in UK - Plant Oxford, Plant Swindon and Plant Hams Hall - are now being invested with 750 million pounds investment. The plans for investment include a new 1,000-robot bodyshop at Plant Oxford, installation of new body manufacturing technologies including laser welding at Plant Swindon and the Hams Hall engine plant being freshly equipped. The Hams Hall engine plant will supply crankshafts for all the three factories for a new generation of modular power units.
"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," stated Board of Management member for Production Harald Krüger at the event celebrating the production milestone. The UK is the second largest market for MINI in the world.
"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.
Frank Bachmann, 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."
