BMW Group Classic Buys Original Munich Plant

BMW is returning to its roots with the purchase of a new facility for its fleet of historic vehicles--returning to a building once used to build airplane engines in the early decades of last century.

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The German automaker has acquired a plot of land covering nearly 140,000 square feet in the Milbertshofen district of Munich. Soon to house classic cars and motorcycles from the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands, the plot is sited among the BMW Plant Munich, BMW’s distinctive “four-cylinder” building, BMW Welt and the BMW Museum and comprises parts of BMW's original factory from 1918. That makes it perhaps the perfect place to store historical vehicles from BMW brands going back many decades.

It also allows BMW to extend its historic operations further than its existing facility will allow. The new building will soon house the BMW Group Classic workshop, a customer centre--which will include parts sales for vintage and classic vehicles--as well as the BMW company archive and administration and event facilities. Naturally, the site will also serve as a museum for heritage vehicles.

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Since late 1920, the site has been owned by Knorr-Bremse AG, the world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles. BMW had produced engines at the site since 1918, but soon after the site was bought out BMW moved operations to a nearby facility, where engines for various road vehicles were produced for some time after. Knorr-Bremse has held the building for the past 90 years but back in BMW's hands, BMW will integrate the classic halls and heritage-protected gate building into the new BMW Group Classic facility.

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