New MINI launched at Plant Oxford

The new MINI was launched overnight at Plant Oxford where production has already commenced. BMW Group is boasting about its £750 million investment across its UK production facilities. Naturally, UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, who was given a preview tour last month, didn’t miss the chance to wax lyrical.

“This £750 million investment is great news for both the local and wider economy, along with the 5,500 workers whose jobs are safeguarded by this launch,” said Mr Cameron. “Car manufacturing is a vital engine for growth. Production is back up to pre-recession levels and a car rolls off the line every 20 seconds in the UK.”

Plant Oxford currently builds the MINI Hatch, Convertible, Clubman, Clubvan, Roadster and Coupé. In 2012 a total of 207,789 new vehicles rolled off the line.

When BMW began building the new MINI at Plant Oxford in 2001 it had a staff of 2,400 and built 300 cars per day during a single shift. Today the employment numbers have grown to 4,000 and 900 cars are completed each day across two shifts. In all MINI has built 2.4 million cars since BMW took over production.

New MINI makes worldwide debut at Plant Oxford.

18.11.2013

Munich/Oxford. The new MINI has made its worldwide debut today (18 November) at MINI’s UK production plant in Oxford and features all-new vehicle architecture , an evolutionary design and a range of new fuel-efficient engines to give owners even more fun behind the wheel. A £750 million investment across three of BMW Group’s UK manufacturing facilities marks the launch of the new car with a new 1,000-robot body shop at Plant Oxford, the debut of new technologies at the steel body pressings operation in Swindon, and new machining and assembly facilities to produce a new generation of three and four-cylinder engines at the Hams Hall engine plant near Birmingham.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I was lucky enough to get an early preview of the new Mini – a classic British icon – during a visit to the factory in Oxford last month. This £750 million investment is great news for both the local and wider economy, along with the 5,500 workers whose jobs are safeguarded by this launch.

“Car manufacturing is a vital engine for growth. Production is back up to pre-recession levels and a car rolls off the line every 20 seconds in the UK. But we’re not complacent. Our industrial strategy is a key part of the Government’s economic plan and we’re helping to drive the car industry further and faster with over £4bn of investment.”

Harald Krueger, BMW Group’s board member for production, said: “In our Oxford plant’s centenary year, we are continuing the MINI brand success story and today starting production of the third model generation. Our total investment of £750 million in our British production locations of Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall between 2012 and 2015 underscores the importance of the MINI production triangle within our global production network. The UK is the heart of MINI production – thanks to the experience, competence and strong commitment of all our employees.”

The investment means additional job security for the 5,500 associates currently working in the UK MINI production network. Besides a new state-of-the-art body shop, the Oxford plant also benefits from upgrades to its paint shop, its final assembly area and from a series of initiatives reducing the operation’s carbon footprint and improving its waste management processes. The introduction of the new MINI has also seen a significant investment in the most extensive workforce training programme undertaken at the plant.

Even though there’s instant recognition – something which comes from having such a globally identifiable design – the new MINI is completely new from the ground up in an effort to optimise its styling, function and performance. With its market launch in Spring 2014, the new car offers an enhanced standard specification, an extensive range of options to allow customers to adapt the car to their individual style, higher comfort levels, comprehensive safety technology including pedestrian protection and more innovative networking technology. Longer and wider than its predecessor, the new model provides more interior space for both the driver and passengers. Extensively revised suspension technology, reduced weight and increased rigidity have intensified the typical MINI go-kart feeling.

Commenting on the new model, Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW Group’s board member for MINI, BMW Motorrad, Rolls-Royce, Aftersales BMW Group said: “MINI is an inspiration for trend-setters and creative spirits the world over. And with our latest generation of MINI, we want to excite once again. To ensure the new generation of MINI is as successful as its predecessors, we have made just subtle modifications to its design. But beneath the outer skin is a brand-new car with state-of-the-art technologies seen for the first time at a small car”.

Start of production for new MINI

Oxford. The MINI plant in Oxford celebrated the world premiere of the new MINI with an official ceremony. Among the guests were British Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin; 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.

Harald Krüger at the ceremony: “In our Oxford plant’s centenary year, we are continuing the MINI brand success story and today starting production of the new model generation. Our total investment of 750 million pounds in our British production locations of Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall between 2012 and 2015 underscores the importance of the MINI production triangle within our global production network. The UK is the heart of MINI production – thanks to the experience, competence and strong commitment of all our employees.”

Peter Schwarzenbauer: “MINI is an inspiration for trend-setters and creative spirits the world over. And with our latest generation of MINI Hatch, we want to excite once again. To ensure the new generation of MINI Hatch is as successful as its predecessors, we have made just subtle modifications to its design. But beneath the outer skin is a brand-new car with state-of-the-art technologies seen for the first time at a small car.”

This investment forms part of the international growth strategy for the MINI brand and secures the long-term future of the Oxford plant, as well as jobs at the Swindon pressing plant and the engine plant in Hams Hall, near Birmingham. The investment programme has mostly targeted efficient and sustainable production structures for the new generation of MINI models in Oxford. More than 1,000 additional latest-generation robots will be deployed in the plant’s body shop, for example; while Hams Hall installed production systems for a new generation of fuel-efficient petrol and diesel engines. The BMW Group has invested a total of around 1.75 billion pounds in its British locations since 2000.

These investments are also linked to a broad-based training and further education campaign for the BMW Group’s employees in the UK. The company opened a new training centre in Oxford in 2012, which is used by the plant’s apprentices. There are more than 190 apprentices across BMW Group’s four UK manufacturing sites at Swindon, Hams Hall, Oxford and Goodwood who are currently participating in a dual vocational training programme based on the German model. The plants’ production employees also received training resulting in a practical qualification equivalent to the British “NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) Level 2”.

With a production volume of 207,789 units in 2012, Plant Oxford is the third-largest vehicle manufacturer and exporter in the UK. MINI accounts for 14 per cent of all locally-manufactured passenger cars and 14 per cent of all passenger cars exported from the UK. The MINI Hatch, Convertible, Clubman, Clubvan, Roadster and Coupé models are all produced here.

The success of the MINI brand can be seen in the positive development at Plant Oxford since 2001. Back then, a single shift of around 2,400 employees produced about 300 cars a day. Today, a team of nearly 4,000 works two shifts and builds up to 900 cars a day – reaching a total of more than2.4 million MINIs to date. More than 1.8 million MINI cars have been exported to over 100 countries since 2001.