The new Mini Hatch will be built at the contract manufacturer VDL Nedcar in Born, Netherlands. BMW’s Mini brand is taking the step to add capacity and will split production of the Mini Hatch between Oxford and Born. Production in the Netherlands will commence from summer 2014.
BMW said it will benefit from the favourable location of the VDL Nedcar site in terms of logistics and its proximity to the UK Mini production network with its locations in Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall.
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“Contract production is a vital flexibility tool for us, and our experience gathered over the past ten years has been nothing but positive. Splitting production of the new Mini Hatch between Oxford and Born will give our global production network additional leeway. We appreciate the reliable, open and trustful cooperation with our Dutch partner, VDL Nedcar,” said Dr. Klaus Draeger, BMW AG’s Board Member Purchasing and Supplier Network, during a plant visit in Born.
BMW also said the move needs to be seen in the context of its global growth strategy and an overall sales target of over two million vehicles by 2016.
Head of Production Harald Krüger said: “The Mini brand is showing substantial growth. This is why we need additional, external production capacity on top of the capacity of the Mini plant in Oxford which stands at about 260,000 units per year in the medium term. VDL Nedcar has many years of experience in producing high quality vehicles, so the company is an ideal partner for us. At the same time, the UK production network is and will remain the heart of Mini production. Splitting production of the new Mini Hatch between Oxford and Born will give us greater flexibility for other models.”
