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BMW injects
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News
Press Release - 03 May 2002
The international success of the new MINI range,
produced at BMW Group Plant Oxford, has resulted in a further £50 million
investment at the factory to increase production and productivity, BMW Group
announced today.
The world-wide customer reaction to the MINI, MINI Cooper and the soon to be
launched MINI Cooper S has also led to the creation of 700 more permanent jobs
at Oxford and a further 300 jobs at the BMW Group Pressings plant at Swindon and
150 jobs at the Group's transmission factory in the West Midlands, which
supplies MINI gearboxes.
In the 12 months since the start of full production - on April 26 2001 -
employment at Plant Oxford has risen from 2,400 to around 4,500 with the early
introduction of three shift, seven days working, 51 weeks a year.
Speaking in Oxford, Dr Norbert Reithofer, BMW Board Member for Production said:
"The MINI is clearly an international success story. Customer reaction around
the world has been astounding. People have been camping outside dealers in the
United States for a test-drive and showrooms in Japan had to be closed for a
while to cope with the numbers of people wanting to see the car."
"We had planned to produced 30,000 cars to the end of last year but the actual
figure was more than 42,000. With further production rises already this year
Plant Oxford will product the 100,000th MINI during the month of May - just 13
months after the start of volume production" said Dr Reithofer.
Investment at the plant will include measures to improve productivity and
flexibility, develop the site infrastructure and introduce the MINI Cooper S.
The MINI range will be available in 50 markets throughout the world by the end
of 2002, with the United States, Europe and Japan being major markets for the
car. About 75 per cent of sales are expected to be for the MINI Cooper and MINI
Cooper S models.
In the UK market, MINI sales in the first quarter of 2002 continued to rise with
10,595 units delivered to customers out of total sales of more than 25,000 MINIs
throughout Europe.
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First Drive: 2002 Mini Cooper & Cooper S
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MINI Cooper S road test -
4 Car
