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Interesting read as it gives an insight into BMW's understanding of the brand.
BMW says Mini’s Britishness is more important than profit and essential for the brand, writes JEZ SPINKS.
Mini says the brand could die if it was ever to be manufactured outside of Britain, its biggest market.
As the next-generation model of the new Mini launched this week – driven in Spain, powered by German/French engines, and even presented to the international media in the mother tongue of its German parent company BMW – the company stressed that the ‘British’ factor was still crucial to the car’s success.
“It’s very important that we keep with our history,” says Mini product manager Marcus Krieg. “Most of the cars [Minis] have always been built in England, and it’s really important to keep it as a British brand with a British factory.”
While many car makers have turned to eastern Europe and Asia for cheaper labour costs, Krieg believes sacrificing extra profit for the marketing importance of the ‘British-built’ tag is vital.
“Building Mini outside the UK could kill the brand,” he says. “People love Mini and we have to very careful with it. [Its Britishness] is an asset, and we cannot imagine to build it somewhere else like eastern Europe.”
Taking Mini production out of England could certainly upset a large share of its customers. Britain is, perhaps not surprisingly, Mini’s biggest market, and the brand accounts for an impressive 30 per cent of BMW Group annual sales in the UK. That’s double the percentage Mini contributes to the BMW Group’s global sales.
The BMW Group has just invested $500 million in what it calls its new Mini ‘production triangle’ – the three UK plants responsible for building all Minis, including hatchbacks, cabriolets, and, from next year, the wagon variant.
BMW says the spend will allow maximum production capacity to grow from the current 200,000 per year to 240,000.
Managing director of the BMW Group’s main Mini plant in Oxford, Dr Anthon Heiss, says not only will the investment create another 450 jobs (a total of 6800 employees) in Britain when the three plants reach full production capacity but the MkII new Mini is also more British than its predecessor.
“Around 60 per cent of components for the new Mini are delivered to Oxford by UK-based suppliers,” says Dr Heiss. “For the previous model that figure stood at just 40 per cent.
“Mini’s three front-end, cockpit, and seat module suppliers have set up operations within just an hour’s drive of Plant Oxford,” says Dr Heiss. “Their investments total over £40 million ($100m), creating some 750 jobs.”
_________________ One should never skimp on the zip ties.
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