Although the current Mini continues the "made in England" tradition of the original BMC model, increased demand for the current car -- along with forthcoming new models -- may mean some production could occur within Germany.
BMW -- Mini's corporate parent -- has already confirmed that the Roadster and Coupe models shown as concepts at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show will become production models in the next few years. Coupled with a crossover set to launch in 2011, the new models will deplete the current assembly plant in Oxford, England, of any extra capacity.
Rather than tax the already busy plant (it's built more than 1 million Minis since 2001), BMW will likely shift some production to a facility in Regensburg, Germany. The location is approximately an hour north of BMW's world headquarters and Munich, and currently builds 1- and 3-series cars. In addition to the extra production volume, building Minis in Germany will also help BMW offset currency fluctuations, because England has yet to adopt the Euro as a standard currency.