MINI Production to Expand Into Netherlands
Production of the new MINI hatchback will begin this summer in the Netherlands as BMW continues to expand production capacity beyond England.
The German automaker announced that the U.K. will still be the main manufacturing base for MINI but production will be split between Oxford and a factory in Born, Netherlands which is run by Dutch automotive manufacturing company VDL Nedcar. In November 2015, MINI will add production of its convertible model to the same factory, which is configured to build four MINI models according to Renee Vounckx, deputy head of the press and body shop at VDL Nedcar.
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The automaker expects production volumes to reach a five-digit figure this year, with around 1,500 employees responsible for building the vehicles. MINI’s Oxford plant has an annual capacity of about 260,000 units per year and BMW also has a partnership with Magna Steyr in Austria, which produced 125,559 MINI Countryman and Paceman vehicles last year.
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[Source: Automotive News Europe]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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