The MINI goes Dutch

9 July 2012  

BMW today announced it was investing £250 million in its three UK Mini factories

The money will be poured into manufacturing operations by the end of 2015 at the German maker’s plant in Oxford, a steel body pressings factory in Swindon and its engine plant near Birmingham. The money will not be used to create new jobs but will protect 5,500 existing roles at the three sites.

The good news was tainted somewhat with the news that the model will be built in the Netherlands for the first time, to cope with booming demand. BMW also builds the Countryman estate in Austria. The company insists the move is to ease a bottleneck in production and to manufacture where demand is high. Harald Krueger, member of the board of management at Munich-based  parent firm BMW Group, insisted: ”Just as Munich is the centre of the BMW world, Oxford is and will remain the home and the heart of Mini.’

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I am delighted that BMW has chosen to make such a significant investment in the UK. This demonstrates confidence in British manufacturing, provides a fantastic boost for the workforce, and shows we are making real progress in rebalancing the economy.”