The 1.5 millionth Mini built since BMW launched the reinvented retro model line in 2001 rolled off Plant Oxford’s production line on Monday.
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Business minister Ian Lucas, responsible for the automotive sector at the government department for business innovation and skills (BIS) and BMW Group board member Ian Robertson joined a group of plant apprentices as the chilli red Clubman came off line destined for a British customer.
Mini is now sold in over 80 countries and was most recently launched in Brazil.
BMW sales and marketing chief Robertson said: “This is a great day for the plant and a wonderful milestone to reach in the 50th birthday year of Mini. The very first classic Mini rolled off the production line here at this plant [when it was the much larger Morris complex, part of British Motor Corporation – ed] on 8 May 1959.
“It is a privilege to be part of the heritage and future of this car.”
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By GlobalDataRobertson added, “This is a tough time for the car industry and no business is immune from its challenges, but Mini is an extremely resilient brand with huge customer appeal and we have seen a strengthening order bank in recent months. We will launch a number of new models in the coming years and we are optimistic for the future.”
BMW Group has so far spent over GBP380m on Plant Oxford since 2001 and a further GBP100m on the Hams Hall engine and Swindon (once Pressed Steel/Rover Group pressings) plants, which make up the so called ‘Mini production triangle’ here in the UK. The Group employs over 7,000 people in the UK, and its activities account for 1% of the country’s GDP. BMW has invested over GBP1bn in the UK since 2000.
Lucas said: “Part of the longevity of the Mini has come from the company’s ability to innovate – the redesign that was launched in 2001, the focus on reducing CO2, and the electric Minis that over the next year we will be seeing on the streets as part of the Government’s low carbon vehicles demonstrator. The Government will do all it can to support the British automotive industry as it makes the necessary transition to the low carbon future.”
BMW Group recently said it would will trial an all-electric Mini in the UK as it is also doing in the US – having won government backing through the Technology Strategy Board and regional development agency SEEDA.
In the 41 years between 1959 and 2000, 5.3m classic Minis were built, so the total when combined with new Mini volume is 6.8m, BMW calculated.
