IS BMW A FOREIGN CAR?
It's always a good idea to know where the products we buy originated and to put some thought into how and where they're made, and that includes our cars. You might be wondering, “Is BMW a foreign car?” and “Where is BMW made?” We love it when people are curious about what country makes BMWs! If you know that BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke, and you know a little bit about languages, you know that BMW originated in Germany. That’s where the company has been based since it was founded over a century ago. Learn more about BMW history and where BMWs are made with BMW of Florence. When you're finished, check out our new BMW inventory to see the latest in German automotive engineering.
WHERE IS BMW MADE?
If you're in the United States, then yes, BMW is a foreign company based in Germany. However, as the company has grown and industrial changes have occurred, manufacturing of BMWs now happens around the world. What country makes BMW? Before your BMW arrives for you to drive in Darlington, it could have been made in Germany, Africa, North America, or Asia. Specialized factories around the world produce completed BMW automobiles. That includes right in our Marion backyard (170 miles away in Spartanburg).
WHICH BMW VEHICLES ARE BUILT IN SOUTH CAROLINA?
There are plenty of people in Sumter and Florence who know the story of how BMW vehicles came to be made in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It wasn't that long ago. Fueled by the growing American demand for crossover and SUVs, in 1994 BMW built their Spartanburg facility to manufacture the BMW X Series of SUVs.
The BMW facility in Spartanburg now employs over 11,000 workers who have assembled over 6.4 million BMW SUVs in the last 30 years. The factory is the largest automobile exporter in the U.S., sending over $9.6 billion worth of vehicles for sale overseas. Every year 40 percent of the SUVs made in Spartanburg stay in the U.S. In an average day, more than 1,500 BMWs roll off the assembly line.