‘No BMWs to be built at Mini plant’ (From Oxford Mail)

‘No BMWs to be built at Mini plant’

6:32pm Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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BMW says it is not going to build a small BMW at Oxford’s Cowley Mini plant, following speculation in the press.

Spokesman Graham Biggs said the reports arose from an announcement by BMW chief executive Norbert Reithofer of a new chassis structure to be shared by new Mini and BMW models.

But Mr Biggs added: “We see the plant expanding dramatically from where it is now, just producing Minis, and there are limitations within the site as to how many cars we can build, so it is most unlikely that we could produce other cars there.”

Last year, the Cowley factory produced 216,538 cars, compared with 232,425 in 2008. Its maximum capacity is 240,000, but Mr Biggs said this could be increased to 260,000 from 2014.

The Countryman, which goes on sale this year, will be the first Mini model not produced in Oxford. It is being built by a contract carmaker in Austria.