Take a MINI Factory Tour

MINI owners, or anyone for that matter, can now tour MINI’s Oxford plant. Tour participants will gain insight into the MINI production process during a guided plant tour. There they will be able to watch the production of MINIs, from the welding of steel parts into car bodies to the installation of individual interior equipment into the assembly.

Oxford, according to MINI, is the “birthplace and heart” of their vehicle production. Hundreds of MINIs roll off the assembly lines every day, each one built to specifications of customers in the 108 countries where MINIs are sold.

MINI operates three plants in the UK, each one with a different specialization. The Hams Hall factory makes engines, Swindon, body panels and sub assemblies. Assembly of body shells, paint production, and final assembly all occur at Plant Oxford.

Production of new MINI started in 2001. Since then, over 2.4 million cars have been left the assembly line at Plant Oxford. But the plant's heritage goes back much further than 2001 –the site began as a manufacturing facility for the Morris company, which eventually began building original Minis. When BMW acquired MINI from the Rover Group, the site was redeveloped to produce the new MINI vehicles. It is a site with 100 years of automotive manufacturing history, which has become a landmark in the "city of dreaming spires".To sign up for a tour, visit the official website of the plant for more information.

The factory is open Monday to Friday. Tours are available Monday to Thursday between 9 am and 6 pm and Friday between 9 am and 1 pm. MINI recommends booking your tour in advance.

Guided, mixed group tours start at £17 or £14 for discounted childrens' or seniors' tickets. An exclusive guided tour is also available for £200, with the discounted ticket coming in at £165.

Some brief facts and figures for the Oxford Plant:

Total area: approx. 200 Acres (809,000 m2)

Workforce: 4,000

Apprentices: approx. 95 per year

Daily production: up to 900 vehicles

Current products: MINI Hatch (3-door and 5-door), MINI Clubman, John Cooper Works