2000 |
September – Decision to move production of MINI from
Longbridge to Oxford |
2001 |
April 26 – Start
of MINI Production at Plant Oxford
July 7 – New
MINI Hatch is launched in the UK (First Generation)
MINI One and MINI Cooper go on sale on July 7 and come
with a vast array of options to add a personal touch to each
car. Mini owners have always enjoyed personalising their
cars inside and out, and every Mini owner has a view on what
represents the ideal specification. New MINI will continue
the theme, offering over 40 options, 3 option packages, 3
different alloy wheels and 8 colours available to order at launch.
October 24 – Cooper
S unveiled at 2001 Tokyo Motor Show
MINI Cooper S will be unveiled at the 2001 Tokyo Motor
Show on October 24, hot on the heels of the successful UK
launch of MINI One and MINI Cooper. The flagship model is
due to set pulses racing next summer.
|
2002 |
May 16 – Diesel
MINI announced
Following the MINI One and MINI Cooper launch in 2001 and
the impending arrival of MINI Cooper S on June 8, it was
confirmed today at BMW Group's Annual General Meeting that a
diesel MINI will be available in 2003.
May 30 – 100,000th
MINI built at Plant Oxford
The 100,000th MINI has come off the production
line at BMW Group Plant Oxford today (30 May) just 13 months
after the car went into volume production. The car, an
electric blue MINI Cooper S, is one of more than 4,000
Cooper S models already ordered by UK customers even before
the 163 bhp supercharged top-of-the range MINI goes on sale
in the UK on 8 June. Following the launch of the MINI in the
UK in July 2001, over 25,000 MINI One and MINI Cooper models
have been sold in its home market.
|
2004 |
April 23 - MINI
Cooper S Convertible launched
MINI UK is delighted to announce pricing and specification
details of its new range topping MINI Cooper S Convertible.
The MINI Cooper S Convertible will make its UK debut at The
Sunday Times Motor Show Live on 25th May. It will be priced
at £17,595 and will go on sale in the UK at the end of
August. Just like the MINI One Convertible and MINI Cooper
Convertible, the MINI Cooper S Convertible will be built at
Plant Oxford in the UK.
BMW Group announces £40 million investment at BMW
Group Plant Swindon
August 25 - 500,000th
MINI produced at Plant Oxford
The 500,000th MINI has come off the production line at BMW
Group Plant Oxford
today, three years after the car
first went on sale in July 2001.More than 375,000 of the
500,000 MINIs have been exported representing over 75 per
cent of the total produced since the launch of the car. The
UK car export market is worth approximately £11 billion per
annum* and MINI is the UK's fifth largest car manufacturer.
|
2005 |
500,000 engines delivered by Hams Hall
November 15 - Autocar
names MINI Car Manufacturer of the Year 2005
Autocar magazine has named MINI Car Manufacturer of the
Year 2005 at its annual award ceremony held in London on
Monday 14th November 2005. Presenting the award, Autocar
editor Rob Aherne said: "MINI has been a towering
success every week of every year of its short life. The
cars, which began production in 2001, have brilliantly
echoed the appeal of the Issigonis original, while offering
buyers a thoroughly modern design."
|
2006 |
February 21 - MINI Cooper S with MINI John Cooper Works
GP Kit unveiled at Geneva Motor Show
The MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works (JCW) GP Kit will
make its first public viewing at the Geneva Motor Show. The
fastest, most powerful production MINI ever will reach 62mph
in under 6.5 seconds and achieve a top speed of 146mph. The
GP has a power output of 218bhp, a stunning 136bhp per
litre, and a maximum torque of 245Nm.
August 14 - Second
Generation MINI Hatch launched
The overwhelming success of its predecessor, launched in
2001, has paved the way for the new MINI to consolidate and
expand its position in the premium segment it created. In
five years it has sold over 800,000 around the world, and
200,000 in the UK alone.
The external design of the new MINI has re
mained true to its phenomenally
successful forebear, yet every body panel is
different. The MINI design team
rightly deemed evolution preferable to revolution and
MINI's styling remains
instantly recognisable. Five years after its
launch it still stands out, and
this design explains why demand for the curre
nt MINI is higher today than it
has ever been.
September 19 -
Major
investment & prince engine supplied to Oxford from
Hams Hall, creating the Production Triangle for the first time
+ £200 million investment and 450 new jobs created by BMW
Group.
+ UK-based suppliers invest £40 million and
create 750 new jobs.
+ MINI production triangle in the
UK established.
+ UK content for new MINI rises from
40 to 60 per cent.
+ Production capacity increases
from 200,000 to 240,000 vehicles per annum in medium term.
November 16 – New MINI on sale in the UK. |
2007 |
January 16 – MINI
One and Cooper D introduced to the MINI UK range
The new MINI hatch line-up will soon be complete, when the
new MINI One and MINI Cooper D models are unveiled to the
public at the International Geneva Motor Show on 8 March
2007. The entry-level One features a perky 95hp 1.4-litre
petrol engine, while the Cooper D boasts performance and
fuel efficiency from an all-new 1.6-litre 110hp turbodiesel powerplant.
MINI Plant Oxford pioneers innovative paint technology
Plant Oxford is the first BMW Group manufacturing site to
use IPP (Integrated Paint Process). This highly innovative
system brings energy savings and emissions reductions of
well over 10 per cent in the painting of body shells.
As well as enhancing the efficiency of the entire paint
process, IPP also supports BMW Group's environmental
objectives by dispensing with a solvent-based primer-surfacer.
BMW Group launches Strategy Number ONE
July 30 - MINI
Clubman launched for the first time
The new MINI Clubman will go on sale in the UK on Saturday
10 November 2007. Based on a concept first shown at
Frankfurt Motor Show in 2005, the new car is a modern
interpretation of its famous Mini predecessors taking into
account all the demands and technologies of the 21st
century. Available from launch in three engine variants:
Cooper D, Cooper and Cooper S, the new model offers flexible
use of space, easier access through innovative door
concepts, more space for rear passengers and high levels of
safety and customisation options, all without compromising
the MINI's revered driving dynamics
|
2008 |
Tours begin at MINI Plant Oxford
December 1 - Second
generation MINI Convertible launched
The new MINI Convertible is set to make a welcome return
to UK roads in 2009, with a completely new version of the
British-built favourite due to go on sale on 28 March 2009.
MINI Cooper and Cooper S derivatives featuring innovative
engine technologies will be offered at launch, meaning fans
of the compact, premium new MINI Convertible are guaranteed
performance, frugality, minimal running costs and a unique
image as standard. |
2009 |
May 8 – 50
Years of MINI Production at Plant Oxford
Fifty years ago today, the first Mini rolled off the
production line at Cowley, now called Plant Oxford. For the
first time in half a century that very car is returning to
its birthplace for a celebration of 50 years of production.
The Mini Minor, finished in Old English White and carrying
the registration number 621 AOK, is at Plant Oxford for the
day to mark its birthday in style.
June 24 - MINI
E trials begin, backed by UK Government
BMW Group’s successful application to the UK Government’s
Technology Strategy Board followed an invitation for
proposals outlining innovative, industry-led collaborative
research projects involving ultra-low carbon vehicles. The
objective of the Technology Strategy Board is to encourage
manufacturers to develop ultra-low carbon vehicles that
customers want to buy and bring them to market as rapidly as
possible. MINI E models will be on UK roads for a
twelve-month field trial that will evaluate the technical
and social aspects of living with an all-electric vehicle in
a real world environment. This yearlong project will play an
important part in informing future strategic and
technological decisions.
MINI Olympic Torch passes through MINI Plant Oxford,
held by associate Jodie Evans.
September – MINI John Cooper Works GP announced
|
2010 |
January 20 - MINI Countryman launched (produced in
Graz, Austria)
MINI is adding a fourth model to the family, opening up a
new dimension of that unmistakable MINI feeling. As a
genuine Crossover, the MINI Countryman bridges the gap
between the classic concept of the MINI and a modern Sports
Activity Vehicle. Boasting enhanced opportunities in urban
mobility and beyond, the MINI Countryman offers that unique
driving pleasure so typical of MINI to new target groups
requiring extra space and flexibility. As the first model in
the MINI range with four doors and a wide-opening rear lid,
the MINI Countryman provides even greater freedom of space
for truly versatile use, a slightly elevated seating
position, and optimized driving comfort. Full integration of
the passengers within the vehicle creates that driving
experience so typical of MINI. And at the same time the MINI
Countryman maintains that go-kart feeling likewise so
characteristic of MINI, optional MINI ALL4 all-wheel drive
offering an additional highlight for the genuine
connoisseur. In a nutshell, therefore, the MINI Countryman
offers all the characteristic features of the brand in terms
of design, premium quality, handling, efficiency and
customisation in new, fascinating style.
December 19 – MINI Paceman concept unveiled |
2011 |
24 February - MINI
Rocketman concept unveiled at Milan Fashion Week 2011
Underpinning this success has been the creative use of
space, a principle that enters new territory with the MINI
Rocketman Concept. The study car, which will be revealed to
the public worldwide for the first time at the International
Geneva Motor Show (3 – 13
March 2011), harks back to the classic Mini in terms of
its exterior dimensions, while its technology points to the
future of automotive design. A 3+1-seater with 3
doors and a length of just over 3
metres (approx. 10 ft.), the MINI Rocketman Concept
responds to the fundamental requirements of mobile
lifestyles in the big cities of the future by pooling the
brand’s core values in concentrated form. Ingenious
functionality, smile-inducing agility, exceptional
efficiency and irresistible design come together into an
extraordinarily attractive and ground-breaking, yet
typically MINI, subcompact car concept for the premium segment.
23 September - MINI
Coupé announced
First two-seater sports car from MINI;
- Typically
MINI: characterful design, signature go-kart handling, high
standard spec including unique active rear spoiler,
extensive personalisation programme.
- John Cooper
Works variant has range-topping acceleration and top speed.
- Four-model engine line-up; three petrol, one diesel.
- Built in Britain at Plant Oxford.
- On sale 1st
October 2011 priced from £16,640 OTR. |
2012 |
MINI London 2012 Edition announced
16 April - MINI
Roadster announced
The MINI Roadster is the first premium model of its kind
in the small car segment, offering buyers a unique package
that will bring the joy of MINI ownership to a passionate
and demanding group of new customers. Selling alongside the
Hatch, Convertible, Clubman, Countryman and Coupé, the MINI Roadster
is in UK showrooms now.
15 November –
MINI
breaks World Record, squeezing 28 MINI Fans into a 2012 MINI. |
2013 |
8 March –
Celebrating
100 years of car-making in Oxford
12 March – 250,000th MINI Countryman leaves
the factory
21 March - MINI Paceman unveiled
A sporty new exterior design, lowered suspension for a
dynamic ride and an exciting reinterpretation of the
familiar interior – feast your eyes on the all-new MINI
Paceman.
Styled as a coupé interpretation of the Countryman, five
versions are available from launch, including the MINI Cooper
S Paceman which has a 0-62mph of just 7.5 seconds. The
seventh unique member of the family, it sells alongside the
Hatch, Clubman, Convertible, Countryman, Coupé and Roadster.
November 18 – David
Cameron visits Plant Oxford to see worldwide debut of
Third Generation MINI
The new MINI has made its worldwide debut today (18
November) at MINI’s UK production plant in Oxford and
features all-new vehicle architecture , an evolutionary
design and a range of new fuel-efficient engines to give
owners even more fun behind the wheel. A £750 million
investment across three of BMW Group’s UK manufacturing
facilities marks the launch of the new car, with a new
1,000-robot body shop at Plant Oxford.
|
2014 |
13 March -
Third
Generation MINI Hatch launched
Even though the new MINI Hatch is instantly recognisable –
something which comes from having such a globally
identifiable design – the car is completely new from the
ground up. Every component has been back to the drawing
board in an effort to optimise its function, performance and
style. The result is ‘The New Original’, a MINI which is
distinctly familiar but enhanced in every single way. It
features significant improvements in technology, engine
efficiency and power delivery, driving dynamics, quality and
– of course – personalisation. Inside, the new MINI Hatch is
quieter than the outgoing model, with improvements to
acoustic refinement inside the cabin.
4 June - First ever five-door Hatch unveiled
Just months after launching the new MINI Hatch, MINI has
today expanded its model range with the addition of an
entirely new body variant – the MINI 5-door Hatch.
It’s the first time in the history of the brand that the
Hatch has been offered with two rear doors, and the new
model promises to combine the hallmark driving fun,
distinctive character and refinement of its 3-door sibling
with enhanced practicality.
This brand new model features enhanced interior comfort
and practicality thanks to the extended wheelbase. Rear
passengers now have 72 millimetres more legroom compared to
the 3-door Hatch, while the increased space also provides
room for a third seat in the back row. The two rear doors
make access to the enhanced rear seating more comfortable.
1 July – First
5-Door Hatch rolls off production line at Plant Oxford
One of the UK’s largest roof-mounted solar farms is
installed at MINI Plant Oxford.
On the roof of the bodyshop, the solar farm has more than
11,500 panels, covering 20,000 square metres (five football
pitches). It generates enough electricity to power the
equivalent of 850 households (over 3 megawatts). This allows
Plant Oxford to reduce its carbon footprint by approximately
1,500 tonnes of C0
2
per year.
|
2015 |
25 June –
MINI
gets a new logo
Building
Cars: Secrets of the Assembly Line
for BBC1 filmed live across two evenings at Plant
Oxford. First aired in August 2015.
3 November - Second
generation MINI Clubman launched
Following the success of the re-energised MINI 3-door
Hatch and the successful launch of the MINI 5-door Hatch,
the new model offers customers a premium vehicle featuring
the highest level of ride refinement ever seen in a MINI.
The car’s much-loved signature design feature – its split
rear doors – are retained, while accessibility and everyday
usability are further enhanced thanks to four full-sized
side doors.
Second generation MINI John Cooper Works GP launched
at Paris Motor Show (2,000 units globally)
|
2016 |
23 January - Third
generation MINI Convertible announced
On sale in the UK from March 2016, it follows hugely
successful model launches in 2004 and 2009. Since 2011 until
2015, 29,415 MINI Convertible models have been sold in the
UK making it the best-selling convertible in the country. It
remains the only premium soft-top four-seater convertible in
the small car segment, and the UK continues to be the
largest market worldwide for the new MINI Convertible.
Plant Oxford celebrates 15th anniversary
April 6 – Plant Oxford joins Instagram
June 20 – David Cameron & Harriet Harman visit
Plant Oxford
BMW Group celebrates centenary
BMW Group launches Strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT.
2 December - Plant
Oxford celebrates 3,000,000th MINI rolling off
the assembly line since production began in 2001.
|
2017 |
The Drum Social Buzz award for ‘MINI Plant Oxford Instagram’
17 January - Second
generation MINI Countryman unveiled
The new MINI Countryman is the biggest and most versatile
model to be launched in the brand’s 57-year history. With
its larger external dimensions, and increases in space
throughout the cabin and luggage area, it offers occupants
even greater comfort and a genuinely premium ambience.
Useful new features such as electric tailgate control with
touch-free opening and unique options, including a fold down
picnic bench at the rear, add to the ownership experience.
30 August - MINI
Electric concept announced at Frankfurt Motor Show
Almost 10 years after MINI E laid the foundations for
production-standard battery electric vehicles within the BMW
Group, MINI is now offering a window on the future of urban
electric mobility. With a focus on driving excitement and
inspiring design, it moves the brand’s urban tradition into
the electric age and in doing so spices up the conventional
notion of electric mobility. A production version of the
MINI ELECTRIC CONCEPT will be unveiled in 2019.
|
2018 |
BMW Group launches UK apprenticeship programme at
Plant Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall |
2019 |
MINI celebrates 60 Years of MINI
19 June - Italian
Job 50 th anniversary celebrated at Plant Oxford
Tonight at its home in Oxford, MINI will gather the cars
and the stars of The Italian Job for a unique double
celebration and charity screening of the much-loved film.
This year marks 60 years since the first Mini rolled off the
lines at Oxford and 50 years since The Italian Job premiered
in London in June 1969.
9 July - MINI
Electric announced
MINI has today unveiled the new MINI Electric at the
Oxford plant, the home of the brand where the very first
Mini was built 60 years ago. After 15,000 potential
customers already expressed an interest in the car, the
official order books are opened today. Manufacturing will
begin in late 2019, with first deliveries in the spring of
2020 and exports headed around the world.
9 August - 10,000,000th
MINI built at MINI Plant Oxford
As MINI continues to celebrate its 60th
anniversary, the brand has achieved a new feat as the ten
millionth MINI produced globally since 1959 rolled off the
assembly line. The landmark car – a MINI 60 Years
Anniversary Edition – was built on July 24th
2019 at MINI Plant Oxford and will take pride of place in today
’
s special event at Oxford.
25 September - Hams
Hall celebrates 5,000,000th engine production
across both BMW and MINI
20 November - 3rd
MINI John Cooper Works GP announced
Following the success of the two previous MINI GP model
generations, it will be built in Plant Oxford in a limited
run of 3,000 vehicles globally, 575 of which are for UK customers.
MINI Plant Oxford given “Best Told Story” accolade
from the official tourism agency for England, Visit England
(won again in 2020)
|
2020 |
January – MINI Electric customer production begins at
Plant Oxford
.
The MINI Electric is fully integrated into the production
process at Plant Oxford, making it the first BMW Group Plant
to have electric running down the same line as the
combustion engine models, allowing flexibility in production
according to global demand. By the end of 2020, a total of
17,580 were sold and delivered to customers around the
world, 3,385 of which in the UK.
No production output from 23 March to 18 May due to
Coronavirus Pandemic
MINI Plant Oxford given “Best Told Story” accolade
from the official tourism agency for England, Visit England
30 July - Plant Oxford achieves production milestone,
producing 11,000 MINI Electric models
• MINI Plant Oxford has built more than 11,000 MINI
Electrics since production began
• More than 3,000
MINI Electric orders in the UK to date.
27 October -
MINI
reveals future product plans and new strategy
focusing on electromobility, crossovers and production of
models in China from 2023. |
2021 |
17 March – MINI confirms its last combustion engine
model will be launch in 2025 and the brand will become electric
only from the early 2030s.
30 March – MINI
announces MINI Electric Pacesetter car for Formula E,
inspired by John Cooper Works.
The MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW is the new
Safety Car for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race
series. As such, it connects the brand’s electrified future
with the rich racing history of John Cooper Works. The car
was created out of the new MINI Electric as part of an
unprecedented collaboration between MINI Design, BMW
Motorsport, the FIA and the Formula E. |
