The first-ever five-door Mini hatchbacks have rolled off the production line. While the cars are assembled in Cowley, the panels are made in Swindon, and the engines are manufactured at Hams Hall, near Coleshill.

The Mini five-door Hatch is the second model to be built on a new platform, following the launch of the Mini Hatch in November. It will go on sale in the autumn.

Preparations for the new generation of Mini have seen the construction of a new body-shop at Cowley plus significant investment in facilities and technologies at Swindon. Oxford’s assembly employees also went through a programme of training to support the launch of the new model.

Frank Bachmann, managing director of Mini Plants Oxford and Swindon, said: “This is an exciting day for us with the first ever five-door Mini, which opens up a whole new market segment for the brand. BMW Group has invested in creating ‘state of the art’ technology and facilities at Oxford and Swindon for the launch of this new generation of Mini, demonstrating the company’s commitment to a long-term future for its UK
production sites.”