From robotic assembly to the final celebratory horn beep, a tour of BMW’s Oxford plant offers students an incredible insight into modern car manufacturing.
Keeley Rodgers headed to the plant to find out more about what goes into producing 800 MINIs every day.
Roughly every minute, a shiny new MINI is driven off the production line at the state-of-the-art plant in Cowley, Oxford. It’s an incredible feat, especially when you see everything that goes into making that happen – the people, the precision, the organisation.
Our tour began in the Body in White facility where 1,500 robots work to assemble the body parts of the MINI as you see it taking shape in front of your eyes. The cars then head to the paintshop for the next stage. Our guide Shaun showed us the Ostrich feathers that are used to clean the cars before they are painted and explains more about the process - it’s one of many gems we find out about during the experience.
Fascinating insight into a working car plant
Lastly, we headed to the Assembly section where we were guided through each step of the final stages – everything from the car lights and wheels through to the last thing to be tested – the horn, with a celebratory ‘beep’ as each finished and personalised MINI is driven off at the end. We even met the new addition FIDO (the Facility Inspection Dog) whose job it is to ensure production runs smoothly. The technology is very impressive but there is still emphasis on the personalised, human touch. The associates manually install and check many parts of the cars.
Passionate about inspiring the next generation of engineers, the team welcome school groups to tour the plant. The 100-minute insight shows students how thousands of parts come together to produce up to 800 MINIs each day. They’ll also get to look at the future and advancements in technology and find out about different career options too. It’s a great visit for pupils studying the ‘just-in-time’ strategy because each MINI is made to order and the precision needed is mind-blowing.
This year marks 25 years since modern MINIs began rolling off the production line in Oxford – you can see some of the famous car models from over the years in the museum space before and after a tour, including some of the more exotic MINI cars.
School tours
The tours are suitable for students aged 11 and over (with at least one accompanying adult per group). They cover industrial manufacturing, lean production and sustainability and are ideal for STEM and business studies.
To book, schools can go to visit-bmwgroup.com/en or email info@visit-bmwgroup.com for any questions.
