BMW marks 25 years of British engine building
Since 2001, more than 7.5 million Mini, BMW and Rolls-Royce engines have been made at Hams Hall
In a globalised world, it would be daft to think that a car company does everything it needs to do in its home nation. Toyota isn’t solely Japanese-based, Land Rover doesn’t do everything in Britain and Renault doesn’t only manufacture in France. And so on and so on - everybody is involved everywhere. But we’ll bet you didn’t know very much about BMW’s engine plant in Hams Hall, Warwickshire. It’s easy to think of Munich, of Spartanburg and maybe even of Rosslyn in South Africa as production hubs - maybe not a factory just outside Birmingham.
Yet in 2026, Hams Hall marks 25 years of making BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce engines; since 2001, in fact, it’s made more than 7.6 million units. As well as ‘high-precision machining’ that currently builds more than a million bits a year both for engines made there and in Steyr, Austria, so they keep busy. And when the engines in question have been as significant as the turbo triple in the i8 and the V12 that’s been the foundation of Rolls-Royce’s recent success, that’s an anniversary worth marking.
Hams Hall was significant a quarter of a century ago for building BMW Valvetronic four-cylinders, said to be the first time that the technology was incorporated into volume production. The early years of HH also included four-cylinder engines for the first Z4 coupe, the very fancy N45B20S in the E90 320si and the first ‘Prince’ Mini motors. But given those latter two don’t really have the best reliability rep, maybe they’re best not to dwell on...
Plenty of much-loved engines have been made at Hams Hall since 2001, not least the updated Prince four-cylinders that came on stream from 2010. This was about the time of the first Countryman, Roadster and Coupe as well, and a second generation of 1 Series soon after, so there was plenty of demand for both the naturally aspirated and turbo variants. A decade and a half (and a bit) later, those R56 Minis still appeal, especially with prices from £3k. Not flawless, of course, but a heck of a lot of fun. Just £6k buys one with a new timing chain, Koni suspension and loads of history.
Hams Hall became a crucial hub for Mini motors, which made sense with the majority of production at Cowley. Even with the Mini range more EV-focused now, it still supplies the B48 2.0-litre that’s found in a few Cooper-badged models. Don’t forget that engine goes up beyond 300hp, too, as in the Mini GP; a divisive variant perhaps, but what we wouldn’t do a few years later for a 300hp, front-drive, two-seat hot hatch. You can still expect to pay £30k for one, but if the old GPs are anything to go by then it’s going to be worth that for a while to come as well…
It’s the same sort of money that buys a BMW i8, amazingly enough, and Hams Hall was the only place that ever made the 1.5-litre, 231hp combustion engine for that car. Fun fact for your Monday. It required a new facility to be installed, and the three-cylinder turbo was hand built ‘by an experienced and specially trained team’. So not just a turbo’d Mini engine. The 1.5 on its own, plus the overall 362hp hybrid setup, won International Engine of the Year awards. And now that sports car of the future is available with less than 50,000 miles for £30k.
Another new facility was incorporated into Hams Hall a few years back when production of V8s and V12s was handed over. Which perhaps doesn’t seem like much of a priority in the 2020s, until you remember that three Rolls-Royce models - Cullinan, Ghost, Phantom - still use the 6.75, and the V8-powered M5 has just been made fit for Euro 7. So there are many more combustion units to come out of Hams Halls just yet. It was outfitted for V8 and V12 production between 2022 and ‘23, so this stunning Black Badge Ghost is going to have a UK V12 in. As is this Series II Cullinan, and this very fetching Phantom. Or, if they don’t make enough of an impact, don’t forget that the V8 also goes in the BMW XM…
“The Hams Hall plant is an integral part of our global production network,” said Harald Gottsche, BMW Head of Engine Production. “The site combines technological expertise with high flexibility. It reliably supplies our vehicle plants with efficient, powerful engines of premium quality. This includes the V12 engine – a masterpiece from Hams Hall!” Given those in the luxury sector have shown little desire to give up their combustion cars just yet, that 6.75 has a ways to go. And a Euro 7-spec M5 even more so. Eight million engines will be here before you know it…
Maybe a GP3 or F66 JCW next time.
Although unlikely it would be great if they'd do an F66 GP4 if there is enough interest?
Would be a nice send off for petrol engined MINIs.
(less so for Defender in Slovakia but you can't have everything)
(less so for Defender in Slovakia but you can't have everything)
Can't swear that's true but the person who told me usually knows what they are talking about and he was convinced
(less so for Defender in Slovakia but you can't have everything)
Can't swear that's true but the person who told me usually knows what they are talking about and he was convinced
Point being is a modern integrated supply chain, which for someone like BMW will permit AEO status, means that borders really aren't any sort of challenge.
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