BMW acquired the MINI brand as part of its purchase of the Rover Group in 1994 and since production of the new MINI started in 2001, more than two million cars have been made at Plant Oxford, of which approximately 75% have gone for export. Hundreds of MINIs leave the plant's assembly lines each day, off to meet owners in more than 100 countries around the world. Since 2000, around £1.5 billion has been invested in MINI manufacturing in the UK.
Although Plant Oxford is the birthplace and heart of MINI production, two other UK plants have a part to play. Plant Hams Hall, near Birmingham, makes the new MINI petrol engines and Plant Swindon produces body pressings and sub-assemblies and all this comes together at Plant Oxford with body shell production, paint and final assembly. Plant Oxford currently builds the Cooper 3-Door and 5-Door, and a new Convertible model, and of course the extra-quick John Cooper Works (JCW) version. The new all-electric MINI Cooper and Aceman will be built at plant Oxford from 2026.
The Countryman model is currently built in Austria due to production capacity limitations in the UK and also assembled at other BMW plants for localised markets.
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