Sections: MF Feature Apr 4th, 2004 28 Comments 
The MINI Plant Tour is an incredible experience for anyone with an interest in MINIs. It's absolutely a must for any owner. The tour was put on a brief hiatus as the plant retooled for the cabrio but is again open for business as of just a few weeks ago. The tour has become so popular since that I was told it's booked solid until June! So if you're planning a trip to the UK and want to experience it first hand I'd recommend giving a call or sending them asap. You can find out more in this recent article: MINI Plant Tours.
The tour started with a look at the final production stage of the MINI. We first saw cars coming off the line and progressively went backwards in the life of the cars. We were able to see the “associates” (MINI-speak for plant worker) fitting the final trim to the interior of the cars.
The Cabrio had just started going down the line last Tuesday and the first customer cars were be produced Thursday. I was able to check many out in various stages of completion. The roof comes in crated and pre-assembled for installation. It's made by a company called Oasys right in the UK.
A handful of associates seemed to be having quite an intensive discussion about one silver Cooper Cabrio going down the assembly line right at the point there the roof is raised. I could be wrong but I thought I heard some German accents mixed in with some English ones during this exchange – something I found throughout the Plant visit.
While I did manage to see about every Cooper Cabrio color variation I didn't see any MCS convertibles going down the assembly line. However from what I gathered final production test vehicles should soon be on the roads so they should be in the factory in the not too distant future.
The parts for the cars are delivered in what are essentially crates and then installed into each MINI as they pass down the line. Every MINI gets a print out of it's full spec telling each associate what are the appropriate options for each car. In the case of larger items like wheels they travel in a separate line and meet up with their appropriate car at the time of installation. Really quite an intricate process that is amazing to watch.
The MINI is such an individual car that production tends to be quite unique. For instance the dash is brought in completely assembled with all the appropriate options. MINI found early on it would be nearly impossible to create it on the line since there are over 4 million possible configurations (on the dash alone!).
Quality control at the plant is rigorous and taken very seriously. 10% of all cars are tested every day and those results are scrutinized to find out if there are any issues with the production process or parts going into the cars.
There was both a Red Cabrio and a Silver hatchback in the quality control area. They had been pulled off the line to assess the overall workmanship and quality of the components. They were located in a walled off area just beyond the final assembly point. There were graphs and charts of all kinds showing data associated with what seemed to be weekly and daily production. They also had taken photos of past problem areas and posted them on the walls for examples to compare to. It was all fairly obvious stuff like (gaps between interior pieces for example) but it was really nice to see that level of detail achieved in a sub 20k car.
The US cars were very easily recognized as they are the only ones with the front and rear side reflectors and turn signals. I happened to notice one particular US bound Red/White MCS that was specced without any options whatsoever. I happen to take particular notice of the interior being fitted and the doors bring installed. Whoever the eventual owner of this MINI would be (for that matter all MINIs) happy to note that the associate doing the work was particularly careful with the installation of the interior trimming. It was really something to watch because while it could be considered a monotonous task they all took their time and seemed to be paying close attention to detail.
MINI has also made quite a few production and spec Improvements over three years. The MINI production and interior fittings (as many of us with early cars may realize) has been an evolving process. For instance the heat shield was recently altered to eliminate a faint rattle sound that seemed to be coming from deep within the dash. What they found was as the car heated up it the shield expanded and allowed it to waver very slightly. This created what sounded like a small rattle at certain times. A slight angle change to the bend of the heat shield has since cured this issue. From an owners point of view it's really nice to know that MINI is constantly finding ways to improve the production process and as a result the cars.
Speaking with an employee who had had 15 MINIs in three years as corporate cars he completely agreed. He said new cars have many unseen improvements that in sum make the newer MINIs feel just slightly more solid. It's something that anyone who has a 2001/2002 feels when the drive a new MINI.
Those that I spoke with in the know at the plant had no news on a new windshield coming to alleviate the cracking and pitting issues many of us have experienced. That being said they wouldn't really know until the design had been completed and the production about the start.
According to several long time employees I spoke with, associates have generally found BMW to be very committed to them and the plant as a whole. This is something that they hadn't always seen with previous owners of the plant. Further they are excited by the committment, product, and attention to quality. I was told also that they seem to really take pride in the product and are very excited and proud at the overall success it has achieved. Again all good things to hear from an owners point of view. Of course this point was also obvious when you look at the number of new MINIs in the car parks surrounding the plant.
The plant at Oxford once employed over 28,000 locals in it's heyday and parts of it are over 100 years old. It's manufactured everything from Rolls Royce to the BMW engineered Rover 75 in the late 90's. Even though it's a shadow of it former self at around 4000 employees, the surrounding area seems to take quite a bit of pride in the fact that the MINI is made locally.
That being said, according to a source at the plant one of the hardest things for MINI is finding enough qualified people in the surrounding area to actually work there. Apparently unemployment is rather low right now in some parts of Oxfordshire and finding skilled workers isn't as easy as one would think.
In the second portion of the tour we saw MINI's being welded and riveted together. While less exciting than the final production stages it did offer an interesting glimpse into what's underneath it all. The Cabrio for example has three millimeter thick lower side frames (located just below the doors) as oppose to approximately one millimeter for the standard 3 door MINI. I actually could see and feel the difference as they had both models with no interior or exterior fittings in the front of this portion of the plant available for hands on inspection.
Here's a few miscellaneous observations form the tour:
Unfortunately MINI doesn't allow cameras into the tour other than the welcome center. While I could have easily snuck some pics with my trusty Pentax Optio S4 I wanted to fully respect our hosts and abide by their wishes. However I did manage to snap some shots of the exterior and welcome center. You can check them out here.
The MINI plant tour is simply a must for any MINI enthusiast. It not only has made me look at MINIs a little differently but also made me understand more fully what goes into the production process of our cars. It's highly recommended to anyone living in the UK or traveling there in the near future.
Vanwall Apr 4th, 2004 Link
Thanks for the rundown, Gabe! I've been on a few factory tours over the years, including the original Mini Longbridge facility many years ago, and each one has been a fascinating experience. I'm a real die-hard MINI guy, so this is the one future tour on my list that is an imperative. Have fun!
BCNU,
Rob in Dago
Randolph Lee Apr 4th, 2004 Link
Great piece Gabe, you say [B] Those that I spoke with in the know at the plant had no news on a new windshield coming to alleviate the cracking and pitting issues many of us have experienced. That being said they wouldn't really know until the design had been completed and the production about the start.[/B]
I was told otherwise by someone I trust that seems to have good contacts within MINI UK… when I asked if my March build MINI would have the new stronger glass he said that “not specifically stronger, but more durable.” I found his careful choice of words very interesting. It will be interesting how this whole glass problem settles out… I am just glag that my Mass car insurance pays for 3 windscreens year no questions asked
dc Apr 5th, 2004 Link
Mac users: http://motoringfile.com/planttour04/pages/IMGP0275.htm
Chris Apr 5th, 2004 Link
There has been some (very sad) reports of reliable people who discovered a swastika scratched on the inside of the doorpanel, after removing them for several reasons… Is this issue in any way reconstructablefor you, since you had the full plant tour? Other than that, it's a great story, thank you!
Gabriel Bridger Apr 5th, 2004 Link
Randolph – One person I talked with should know about such things. I don't know if I should say what his job is but it involves knowing quite a bit about upcoming parts. No one there had heard of a new, stronger windshield.
That being said I'm about to post something from someone else (and on the other side of the pond) that implies that something is on it's way.
Beyond this I don't know. I got a good look at the windshields they were putting in and certainly couldn't see anything with my naked eye that looked different.
Randolph Lee Apr 5th, 2004 Link
Interesting Gabe, It seems to be one of the most nagging problems reported on all the boards with MINIs now… Reading a few of the long threads on MINI2 last night we do not seem to see as many reports of the stress cracks from Europe as from our side of the pond… it makes me wonder if the greater range of thermal cycling and the poor state of many of our highways compaired to theirs is a factor… I guess rock strikes are universal though. I wonder how it will all be resolved in the end… I would assume that MINI-BMW have obtained the PPG windscreens that are said to be so much better than the German Sekurit glass and have done extensive A/B testing and I would love to be a fly on the wall for those tests wouldn't you? ~R~
Gabriel Bridger Apr 5th, 2004 Link
Yes we talked about the fact that this isn't a big problem outside the US. The MINI people I spoke with were fairly puzzled about the whole issue. They could see it was indeed a problem based on all the web accounts however.
And yes I would love to be in on those meetings!
And speaking of bad US roads I kept on telling the MINI employees I had dinner with that they should seriously consider bringing over a few cars and testing them on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. I guarantee they would get some valuable information out of that they can't get from their test tracks!
Ian Cull Apr 5th, 2004 Link
Thanks Gabe for an excellent write-up; and welcome back! Hope you enjoyed the rest of your England trip too …
Randolph Lee Apr 5th, 2004 Link
Looking forward to the rest of your posts about your trip Gabe
I would be willing to bet that large numbers of broken windscreens never even get reported to MINI US as they happen in states with no questions asked No fault insurance on them… in many cases people that qualify for that or have 0 deductible on comp glass on their own in other states will just have the guy on the PPG glass truck come to where they work and get it fixed… that is going to mess up their numbers big time unless they pay to do a survey. I have my fingers crossed that I will be one of the lucky ones with my glass but given all the driving around the whole U.S.A. that I have planned this year I will not be unduly upset if it does happen… but then I have one of those Mass no fault 0 deductible on my glass… if I did not I might feel differently ~R~
Joe Apr 5th, 2004 Link
I don't know what you are talking about.Jan 03 build Cooper S 30,000 miles original windshield
Matt Apr 5th, 2004 Link
nice write up gabe. i hope to make the trip myself some time.
Gabriel Bridger Apr 6th, 2004 Link
Something I neglected to mention in the article – there currently is no gift shop of any kind at the plant. However I found out this is set to change. There are now plans on the drawing board to have one in the near future. No word on what exactly it'll carry but lets hope it sells those cool long orange coats among other things!
Also interesting it seems that it's the American visitors that are the ones constantly asking about a gift shop. In fact when I asked our guide where I could get the long orange coat given out for tours he said jokingly: “what is with you Americans always wanting to buy everything!” My response, “because no one else has one!”
R Apr 6th, 2004 Link
I thinks it's interesting that the machines and the “Associates” wear the same color uniforms. Very Orwellian…..The whole thing reminds me of the 1984 Apple commercial……………..R
Gabriel Bridger Apr 6th, 2004 Link
The associates don't wear the orange coats actually.
R Apr 6th, 2004 Link
The gift shops at museums throughout Europe are nothing compared to what even the simplest museum in the USA has! The Musee d Orsay in Paris the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam all were quite a let down as far as gifts or any type of collectibles.
My friends over there act like we are barbarians for wanting a simple well made T shirt to bring home. Gad sell Van Gogh on a T shirt how tatseless, yet they sure fill up, when they come here, on T shirts books and tacky Hollywierd stuff……….R
R Apr 7th, 2004 Link
I guess it was the tour that had the orange coats I saw in your pics………….R
MICHAEL C. RIMMER Jan 30th, 2005 Link
I CAN NOT WAIT TO VISIT THE ALL BMW “MINI” FACTORY TOWARDS THE END OF MARCH `05.
KIND REGARDS,
MICHAEL RIMMER, “MALVERN VIEW” 12, SALAMANCA DRIVE, NORTON, WORCESTER, WORCESTERSHIRE, WR5 2PQ.
TEL.NO: O1905-352600
PLEASE ADVISE HOW I VISIT THE BMW FACTORY AT MUNICH, GERMANY TO SEE THE BMW 3 SERIES COUPE BEING MADE AT REGENSBURG, WEST GERMANY?
PLEASE CAN YOU SEND ME INSTRUCTIONS TO VISIT BOTH MUNICH & REGENSBURG, I CAN`T WAIT TO GO.
KIND REGARDS,
MICHAEL RIMMER
anthony macedo Feb 9th, 2005 Link
i was wondering if you could help me, i am an A level student at waingels college and for my coursework i am doing the production process of bmw mini and i was wondering if you could be so kind in sending me the details of your production process
thank you for your time and hope to hear from you soon
anthony macedo
BRUCE HORD Feb 27th, 2005 Link
Gabe:
I am a been a relative new comer and now insatiable follower of thE MOTORING FILE. Owned a MINI about 1968 when we were living in Hong Kong.
I am waiting to order a new Mini, probably in June 2005. Will be in Sweden the month of July and would like to spend a few days in England with at least a day in Oxford.
Is there an established way to book a plant tour? At some factories. you need to book days/weeks in advance. Is there someone to contact here or in England for that purpose?
Any thoughts on a hotel in Oxford?
Any pointers appreciated.
BRUCE HORD
Ian Feb 27th, 2005 Link
My Factory tour entry includes a phone number to call to book your tour – be sure to book at least a few weeks ahead.
Gabe Feb 28th, 2005 Link
Bruce – for the life of me I can’t remember where we stayed in Oxford but I remember there being aquite a few Bed and Breakfasts (my preferred method of lodging in the UK) in and around Oxford.
Here’s some further info on the factory tours: http://www.motoringfile.com/2003/11/24/ToursOfTheMINIPlantInOxfordEngland
Best of luck with the trip!
jodie porter Jun 6th, 2005 Link
i am a A level student and are have been asked as part of my ICT cources work to produce a report on the production of mini. I would be greatful if you could send me information on the production process and the ways in which you use ICT today and how you used to make minis before the use of ICT.
I am very greatful for you taking time to read this and hope to hear from you soon
Thank you
Jodie Porter
miridona shala Mar 6th, 2006 Link
i am writing asking for your help if possible i am student and i ahve been asked to do some couse work on the mini i would be great full if you could email me and tell me how the bar code helps the mini and the kiss system ?
this is will help me a lot if you could email me back and give me some Details
thank you
miridona shala
Clint Jun 6th, 2006 Link
In regards to the windshield problems listed above…..I have a MINI Cooper S with 300 miles on it and I already have a huge chip in the windshield. I guess this is something I should get used to. This happened on the Beltway in Wash DC and it sounded like an asteroid hit me. I was surprised that it didn’t crack and spread all the way across.
Aussom Jul 30th, 2006 Link
I have an Apr 2002 MCS with over 40,000 miles on the clock, original windscreen, and had no windscreen chips or cracks that people describe here. Several highway gravel stones have hit it (with very loud impact sounds which I was sure was going to create large chips, stars or cracks), but only produced minor surface chipping!
I’m impressed with its strength and resilience! It’s a leap year ahead of my previous (non-Mini) modern family sedan that easily suffered large chips, stars and cracks with similar stone impacts.
Kumiko Usuda Aug 9th, 2006 Link
Could you please advise me the mini plant tour tour dates and condition? I look forward to hearing from you very soon.
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