BMW Group firmly in the driver seat as it pioneers the Next 100 Years of Mobility

Midrand. The double-kidney grille and trademark blue-and-white propeller blade logo that has become the embodiment of luxury, had its genesis 100 years ago in 1916. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) celebrates its Centenary at its Munich headquarters today with a glittering event that heralds a new era in individual mobility.

The brand that has left a powerful legacy of excellence in the world is set to shift up yet another gear over the next 100 years, showcasing pioneering technology and design trends in its centenary year that will become the mainstay of the future of mobility. The three brands in the group – BMW, BMW Motorrad, MINI and Rolls-Royce – represent the pinnacle of automobile and motorcycle manufacturing, and is supported by a basket of innovative financial and mobility solutions.

BMW’s first plant outside of Germany still contributing to its future

With a dominant presence in the South African automotive industry for 43 years, the Rosslyn Plant in the Pretoria was established in 1973 as the first non-German BMW plant. Today there are 30 production and assembly sites in 14 countries. Over the years, the development of the company’s production and export programme in South Africa has been the impetus for sustainable growth. More importantly it has enabled a long-term investment into South Africa, its economy and its people.

Since 1994 BMW has invested more than R10-billion into its production facility and has led the industry in a number of respects in terms of production and export. A further R6-billion investment into future production, announced in 2015, will feature state-of-the-art facilities and operations, making it a benchmark in the local industry.

Even before the birth of the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) and its successor, the Automotive Production Development Plan (APDP), BMW South Africa was the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to adjust its production model to capitalise on exports.

BMW Plant Rosslyn has moved from a limited vehicle-production plant that merely assembled vehicles with a few customisation possibilities for the local market, to a world-class plant, capable of producing bespoke mobility solutions for customers across the globe.

“Sustainable growth is about a forward-thinking mindset,” says Managing Director of BMW Group South Africa, Tim Abbott. “It requires of us to be at the top of our game, analysing trends and engineering an environment of innovation that produces solutions long before they are needed. This allows the BMW Group to thrive and create added value not only for shareholders and employees, but also for the environment, communities and the country’s development.”

Plant Rosslyn has been confirmed as a jewel in the crown of BMW’s production network, winning the prestigious JD Power Platinum Plant Quality Award in 2015. Skilled and innovative people and efficient processes have been the key to the success of the 3 series produced in Rosslyn, and also the basis for the plant being awarded the production of the next generation X3. The evolution of each new generation of the 3 Series has matched the development of the BMW Group investment into South Africa. This is especially true after the introduction of a fully-fledged export programme in 1999:

• With the third generation BMW 3 Series (E36), Plant Rosslyn produced around 92,000 units from 1994 to 1998 or around 19,000 cars per year.
• The fourth generation BMW 3 Series (E46) was built between 1998 and 2005 and Plant Rosslyn was responsible for approximately 269,000 units or around 38,500 cars per year.
• The fifth generation BMW 3 Series (E90) ended production with around 342,000 units or around 49,000 cars per year, having been built from 2005 to 2012.
• Since the start of production of the sixth generation BMW 3 Series (F30) in 2012, more than 200,000 units have been built at Plant Rosslyn.

Since 1999, BMW Group South Africa has grown its overall production volume significantly while its production of cars for export markets has quadrupled.

In 2014, BMW 3 Series Sedan production volume at Plant Rosslyn increased by 1,6% to 68,721 (2013: 67,662) while exports increased by over 17% to a record 61,735 units. This mass export secured BMW South Africa’s position as the country’s leading exporter of premium vehicles. In 2015, the highest ever production volume of 71, 353 units was recorded, with more than 89% destined for foreign shores.

Ground-breaking innovation is in the DNA

BMW Group South Africa directly and indirectly employs over 42,000 people at its plant and in the national sales organisation, at dealers and at its first-tier suppliers. The progressive and innovative approach to business also applies to the people who are its driving-force, with the company named as the number one employer in the automotive industry for the second consecutive year in the Universum Most Attractive Employer Awards in 2015. For the third consecutive year, the South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) Graduate Recruitment Awards, bestowed the honour of Employer of Choice in the Automotive Industry to BMW South Africa in June 2015. The company’s Graduate Development Programme remains highly favoured among graduate trainees.

The pioneering spirit of the people of BMW has been at the core of its success over the past 100 years. More than just adapting successfully to the current environment, the company has become a trendsetter in the field of individual mobility, always striving to create a better future.

With innovations such as Connected Drive that links the driver, the vehicle and the surroundings like never before; efficient dynamics technology; electric and hybrid vehicles and out-of-the-box services such as car sharing models; multimodal route planning; and mobile parking services, BMW Group has proven its dominance in the global industry.

Merging mobility and tecnhology is the future, and this is the space that the BMW Group sees itself mastering in the next 100 years.

Celebrating legendary moments with customers

The BMW Group stable of brands has not only become a status symbol around the world, it has also become an integral part of the lives of the proud owners. In this milestone year, South Africa, BMW Group looks towards the next 100 years of individual mobility with much anticipation, but it will also pay tribute to its history with an exciting promotional competition.

To enter the #Next100 competition, customers are encouraged to share their legendary photo with their vehicle (BMW, MINI or BMW Motorcycle) on Social Media, with the hashtag #MyFirstBMW, #MyFirstMINI or #MyFirstBMWMotorrad.

The competition runs from 7 March 2016 to 31 March 2016. BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad will select “the best photo of the week” on 11, 18 and 25 March 2016 and 1 April 2016. More information, as well as the terms and conditions of the competition can be found at www.next100.co.za

-Ends-

For any media queries, please contact:

Lynette Kamineth

Manager: Business Communications

BMW South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Tel: +27-12-522-2417

Mobile: +27-79-279-5331

Email: lynette.kamineth@bmw.co.za

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2014 was approximately € 8.71 billion on revenues amounting to € 80.40 billion. As of 31 December 2014, the BMW Group had a workforce of 116,324 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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