BMW must be projecting big sales numbers for the new BMW 5 Series. So much so that it has added another 5 Series production line. The new line is not at BMW Plant Dingolfing in Germany where the rest of the 5 Series Sedans and 5 Series Tourings are built. The new line is at Graz, Austria, and it's not a BMW-owned plant at all.
Magna International is now building G30 5 Series Sedans under contract for BMW. The first 5'er rolled off the line on March 2, 2017.
This is not the first time that the BMW Group has called on the Canadian-based auto parts and vehicle production giant. Magna built BMW X3s in 2003, the Mini Countryman in 2010, and the Mini Paceman in 2012. Nor is Magna's work limited to BMW Group vehicles. After the 5 Series will be two Jaguar vehicles and some other, as yet unnamed units as well, according to Magna CEO Don Walker.
Magna is the largest contract automobile producer in the world. In 2016, it built vehicles worth $2,200,000,000 in sales. By 2019, with jobs for BMW, JLR, and others, Magna expects it's new vehicle output to be worth about $7,100,000,000. That's in addition to the company's worldwide sales of original equipment parts, which in 2015 were worth $32,100,000,000. That's a lot of parts.—Scott Blazey
[Photo courtesy of Magna International.]
