The final BMW 3 Series sedan has rolled off the production line at Plant Rosslyn in Pretoria, as the facility prepares to switch production to the new X3.
BMW Group South Africa says its plant built a total of 1 191 604 units of the 3 Series across five generations, spanning 35 years of production. Still produced by other plants within German brand?s production network, the current-generation version of the sedan will now be imported into South Africa.
?We look back with great pride over an extraordinary career path of the production of the five generations of the BMW 3 Series at Plant Rosslyn,? said Tim Abbott, CEO of BMW Group South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
?Over the years, the development of our production and export programme has been the catalyst for our sustainable growth and contribution to the South African economy. With the imminent production of the new BMW X3, we remain a committed and engaged corporate citizen dedicated to the upliftment of South Africa and its people,? he added.
In November 2015, BMW Group SA announced an investment of R6-billion at Plant Rosslyn, enabling the factory to gear up for production of the new X3. In October 2017, an additional R160-million was added to the investment to ?enhance production line speed?, while a new training academy has also been opened.
The investments see the annual production capacity of Plant Rosslyn raised from 71 000 units to 76 000 units, which BMW Group SA says leaves it with “excellent potential in the future to produce the highest volume ever in its 45-year history”.
Bye Bye BMW 3 Series: After 35 years, the BMW 3 Series Sedan rolls off the production line at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn for the last time. @BMW_SA #bmwplantrossyln #bmw3series #3series #bmwgroup #bmw #bmw3er #SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/6x5m8pMDk8
? BMW Group (@BMWGroup) February 22, 2018
