50 years of BMW 3 Series production – an international success story

+++ Over 18 million BMW 3 Series built worldwide +++
Manufactured at 18 plants in 13 countries since 1975 +++ A driving
force for the production network and a trailblazer for the BMW
iFACTORY +++

Munich. Built on four continents, the BMW 3 Series
has been one of the most important products in the BMW Group’s
international production network for 50 years. Since manufacturing
began in 1975, the BMW 3 Series has rolled off the assembly line more
than 18 million times at 18 plants across 13 countries. Core themes of
the BMW iFACTORY – such as efficiency, flexibility, digitalisation and
resource-efficient production – thread consistently throughout the
production history of the BMW 3 Series.

BMW Group Plant Munich: Origins and role as a technology pioneer

The main plant in Munich has been the centre of BMW 3 Series
production since 1975. From an early stage, the BMW Group committed to
flexible manufacturing at the site, enabled by modern technologies,
such as overhead conveyor systems and freely programmable welding
machines. A fully-automated body shop was introduced in Munich in 1982
for the second generation of the BMW 3 Series. Through the use of
industrial robots, it was possible to achieve an automation rate of
more than 90 percent for this technology. Supplemented by flexible
shift systems and modified work-time models, capacity increased
significantly. Continuous modernisation, from powder coating
technologies to computer-controlled engine production, ensured that
the facility always remained state-of-the-art. Today, the plant
deploys numerous digitalisation applications and AI-supported quality
systems. In this way, the BMW 3 Series has consistently been a major
driving force for the technological development of BMW Group production.

BMW 3 Series as a driver of growth and internationalisation

Volume growth at the plants was also influenced by the BMW 3 Series.
In 1980, 3 Series production expanded from the main plant in Munich to
Plant Dingolfing, and later to Plant Regensburg in 1986. The BMW 3
Series also provided the momentum for the internationalisation of BMW
production. In the 1980s, additional production lines were established
at other sites, including Rosslyn, South Africa (from 1984) and
Spartanburg in the United States (from 1994). These locations enabled
local supply for their respective markets and laid the foundations for
the company’s global distribution of value creation – today, a key
feature of the BMW Group production network.

The BMW 3 Series – an enabler for new plants

Since the opening of the Regensburg plant, the BMW 3 Series has
served as the enabler for all new BMW plants – with the exception of
the facility in Debrecen. The plants in Spartanburg, Leipzig and San
Luis Potosí, as well as the BBA joint venture in China, all initially
ramped up with the BMW 3 Series. Over the decades, various 3 Series
derivatives – ranging from sedans and convertibles to Touring and M
versions – have been produced at nearly all BMW Group plants with
maximum flexibility. Multiple derivatives and different drive
technologies – vehicles with internal combustion engines, plug-in
hybrids and fully-electric drive trains – all come off the same
assembly line.

Today, the seventh generation of the BMW 3 Series is produced in
Munich, Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and at the
company’s own regional plants in Chennai (India), Rayong (Thailand)
and Araquari (Brazil), as well as at partner plants in further countries.

Preparations for the eighth generation of the successful model series
are proceeding in parallel: A fully-electric version of the BMW 3
Series will ramp up at Plant Munich from the second half of 2026 as
the next vehicle of the NEUE KLASSE, with subsequent production in
China and Mexico. A return of the BMW 3 Series to Plant Dingolfing is
also planned.

Seven generations of the BMW 3 Series across the production
network (full plants)

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Sandra Schillmöller, Head of Communications Production Network BMW Group

Cell phone: +49-151-601-12225

Email: Sandra.Schillmoeller@bmwgroup.com

Martina Hatzel, Communications Production Network BMW Group

Cell phone: +49-151-601-11966

Email: Martina.Hatzel@bmwgroup.com

Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com/deutschland

The BMW Group

With its four brands, BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the
BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles
and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW
Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide;
the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more
than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to €
142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 159,104 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key component of
the BMW Group’s corporate strategy – from the supply chain through
production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com 

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