MF Poll: Would You Buy a German Built MINI?

C4 Oct 5th, 2009 Link

I don’t have a problem. The MINI, since 2001, has been essentially a German product whose final point of assembly happens to the UK.

However, the downside of making MINIs in Germany, is that I can already see prices further skyrocketing. Germany has very high labor costs, so I am not sure why they would be doing this, other than for sheer convenience and perhaps excercise tighter control over the manufacturing and quality control processes.

Also the labor relations at Oxford may not be at their best, given the round of layoffs that took place earlier this year.

Probably BMW feels that the only way to improve the car’s QC is by building it in Germany?

I am surprised about them not moving production to say an overseas and well established BMW plant like the one in South Carolina, USA or even the one in South Africa (Pretoria?) where I believe high quality BMW 3 series have been built for internal and export consumption for decades.

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RJ Oct 5th, 2009 Link

I have a ‘01 Z3 3.0 Coupe built, as all Z3s/Z4s, in Spartanburg. I watched BMW build the Coupes in SC, fell in love with them, and purchased mine. Never really made a difference to me that the 3.0 was built in the US vs being built in Germany.

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JonPD Oct 5th, 2009 Link

Can’t say this really makes any difference to me, heck I have a German engineered Mini, English body in white car, and Italian assembly and build and can say I spot no issue between that and my 06 Cooper S.

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Sideways Eh! Oct 5th, 2009 Link

If they do this you will not see a decrease in the overall cost of the car…but BMW will probably see higher profits due to their ability to have a closer watch over the overall production.

What would make sense would be to have production of the R60 in North America as it is billed as a North American Car!!! And have the Magna plant in Austria build the Coupe-ster and Speedster. Leave the Plant in Oxford to build everything else.

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Manish Oct 5th, 2009 Link

The primary positive (And I hope for) is the possibility of taking European Delivery for the MINIs built in Germany..

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Tomasthanes Oct 5th, 2009 Link

Of course, there’s a big difference between the phrases “built in Germany” and “build by Germany”. Either way, the new cars will have German engineering. I’m guessing that the new cars will be built by immigrants to Germany rather than the folks who designed and built the factories.

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CraigE Oct 5th, 2009 Link

IIRC, BMW has cut a large amount of production this year. Maybe they are trying to make use of this excess capacity. I also seem to remember that MINI had difficulty with the expansion that they completed a few years ago. It is likely that further expansion will be even more difficult and costly. It does not make sense to expand the MINI plant if they can spend less capitol converting part of an existing facility to MINI production. They already have plans to do this with Magna and the R60. So, why not do this with the Coupe and Roadster or parts of the R55/56/57 production.

I wonder if the Hamms Hall and Swindon facilities will supply parts to the German plant or if they will be sourced closer to home?

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Lee L Oct 5th, 2009 Link

You know, if they make the cars in Germany, which drives on the same side of the road we do, that would drop a major roadblock that is cited for doing some type of Euro delivery on the MINI. I think lots of people would be in favor of that. Heck, they could charge extra for it (or just not give teh discount like with BMWs) and people would do it I bet.

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DUDE! Oct 5th, 2009 Link

Does it matter, NO, is it sad if they did, YES. I like the heritage idea of a British MINI, a German BMW, an American Ford, but the world is a different place since I was a kid in the 1950’s. It was kinda kool knowing that your cars supported people in your country with jobs, commerce and security and “F” the rest of the world.

Realistically though with trade imbalances, cost of shipping, currency fluctuations all that has changed for overseas operations and most big houses are using whatever means they can to cut costs to stay afloat in this new world of ours.

Would I buy a MINI if it cost a heck of lot more, no. So I’m really saying if it’s cheaper and has the same build quality or better.. build it were they can to make that happen, could the build quality improve… god yes.

BTW I seem to be in the minority with my vote of NO.

I’m wondering what my British friend Ian thinks?

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Nick Oct 5th, 2009 Link

I would buy a MINI built in Germany (it’s a BMW anyway) but would prefer England to keep the legacy going. But, how bout the USA. That would be cool.

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C4 Oct 5th, 2009 Link

Great point made about MINI Euro Delivery. Now the BMW attorneys will have no qualms about “dumb Americans” driving on the wrong side of the road.

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BRUCE HORD Oct 5th, 2009 Link

An unlikely scenario, given German labor costs, but yes, I would.

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NEWDL Oct 5th, 2009 Link

So, honestly all of the British was gone when the R53 became the R56. Not to say that those changes were for the worse, because not all were. For my tastes I prefer the R53 and partially due to it’s inherent British character.

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that.guy Oct 5th, 2009 Link

I would far prefer a German-built (-assembled?) MINI. In fact, I would pay a premium for that, if offered as an option. Seriously.

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bee1000 Oct 5th, 2009 Link

So long as they’re not made by commies, slaves or children, I don’t care where cars are made, but if I had my choice I’d buy a fun, small, well built car made by fairly paid Americans.

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that.guy Oct 6th, 2009 Link

I would far prefer a German-built (-assembled?) MINI. In fact, I would pay a premium for that. Seriously.

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eager2own Oct 6th, 2009 Link

This is an outrage! Part of the heritage and soul of MINI (as evidenced by the all-British R53) comes from the manufacture of powerplants in Brazil.

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that.guy Oct 6th, 2009 Link

Word. 120k on my sweet Brazilian mill and it still puts down 195whp like it aint no thang. No French engines for me, no matter where they are mated to the chassis.

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C4 Oct 6th, 2009 Link

Yes my Brazilian powerhouse sounds great, delivers power when I want to and continues to excel in the QC and reliability depts.

I am a Bossanova lover at heart.

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dr Oct 6th, 2009 Link

maybe a follow up poll question would be: Would you have bought a MINI at all if it were a Rover instead of a BMW product?

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DUDE! Oct 6th, 2009 Link

@dr… Ha, that’s a very good question! My answer, probably not until I saw a few years of them on the road.

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r.burns Oct 6th, 2009 Link

R53 never were more British than R56, with their Brazilian motors

And some have to remember that R56 motors are engineered and developped by BMW, the engineer who created the so much famous 3.0 231hp, same technologies (vanos etc etc)

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tsukiji Oct 6th, 2009 Link

I bought my R53 because it was designed and built by BMW — I wouldn’t consider buying an English car.

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that.guy Oct 6th, 2009 Link

Well now the same guy is infamous for creating an engine that clatters like a diesel when cold and melts fake bonnet scoops when hot. Well done!

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that.guy Oct 6th, 2009 Link

Well now the same guy is infamous for designing an engine that clatters like a diesel when cold and melts fake bonnet scoops when hot. Well done!

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r.burns Oct 7th, 2009 Link

It’s not because very little do this kind of things that you have to throw all the Cooper S into a thrashcan, this motor is just the best ever Mini motor, a terrific bomb, world-rewarded

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r.burns Oct 7th, 2009 Link

For your information R56 bonnet scoop is useful, try to be up to date ;)

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that.guy Oct 7th, 2009 Link

That is right, my bad. The function of the scoop is to cool itself so that it does not melt.

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glenn Oct 7th, 2009 Link

A friend of mine in the UK claims there are more Germans than Brits in the factory.

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Matthew Oct 9th, 2009 Link

The fact that the MMM and the MINI have their roots planted squarely in Oxford is critical, in my opinion, will make this a brutally hard decision for BMW.

But the fact that BMW is not making much if anything on the car (as far as I’ve been able to glean from tidbits on the topic) brings up the ultimate motivation for decisions such as these: BMW’s bottom line. While Oxford was an obvious choice at MINI’s conception, perhaps now it’s simply not a viable reality for the company.

While a MINI built (or assembled) outside of GB will take something away from the MINI’s mystique, it will only be a minor detail for some buyers.

For others, I’m afraid it represents a compromise, watering down what is a very profound story in motoring history. How could it not be viewed as such?

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Eelke Oct 16th, 2009 Link

I haven’t voted, I’m not sure. One part of me says, no way, this is the last bit that somehow makes the Mini British. On the other hand, it’s already German engineered (which should really be the hard part to swallow – how is this car British except for the decisions made by some calculating German marketing people?), so where it is actually built is just a technicality. I suppose it’s OK if it remains an “overflow” kind of thing. If the bulk of the production remains in the UK, that’s fine (I don’t think anyone ever had an issue with the GP being built by Italians, which should in fact be a much nigger worry :P)

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Dave Pevsner Oct 19th, 2009 Link

i think they should open the two plants, and let you specify where you want your mini to come from for a nominal fee, or take it from wherever one’s available for no extra fee. that way, if you want a mini specifically from oxford, you still can, but if you’re okay with, or even prefer, a german mini (or, if spartanburg has more capacity, an american mini), that’s available too.

i, personally, boast quite a bit about my mini’s british tradition, reborn through german engineering. that means more to me than where the final assembly is…especially since i always make jokes about how unreliable british cars are, so maybe a mini made in germany would suit me better….as long as it stays true to its heritage of small-car, big-attitude, and still handles like it’s on rails.

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