It’s been 12 years since BMW formed a joint venture with Brilliance Automotive in 2003 and started car production in China solely for the local market. Now, it is celebrating the one-millionth vehicle rolling out of its Shenyang plant assembly line.
The anniversary car is a BMW 3-Series LWB Sedan, a China-only version of the compact premium saloon that rides on a 100mm (4.3-inch) extended wheelbase and is manufactured since 2012.
“For more than 10 years, our joint venture has been very successful at producing BMW models in China”, said Harald Kruger, member of the Management Board of BMW responsible for production. “The production site in Shenyang with its two vehicle plants Tiexi and Dadong as well as the adjacent engine plant is thus a vital element of our global production network. In China, as well as in other countries, we focus on the principle of ‘production follows the market’.”
The two vehicle plants have a combined maximum capacity of 300,000 units per year, which BMW plans to increase by 100,000 gradually in the next two years. The standalone engine plant, which provides the powertrains, will be joined by a second, larger facility that is being constructed and will be operational in 2016.
In the past five years, BMW has invested two billion euros in its Chinese operations, which employ more than 14,000 people, and in 2014 it extended its contract with Brilliance until 2028. It also plans to double its locally-made range from three to six models.
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