BMW South Africa

As early as 1929, the first BMW motorcycle was imported to South Africa by a private individual.[1] The first cars of the brand in 1952 was a BMW 501.[2]

However, the assembly of BMW automobiles did not begin until 1968 by Praetor Monteerders in Rosslyn.[1] The company also assembled Jeep models.[3] In 1970, BMW bought shares in Praetor Monteerders to completely take it over in 1975, thus establishing BMW South Africa, and was also the first BMW plant outside of Germany.[1]

After an investment of 3.5 billion rand at the beginning of the new millennium, the Rosslyn plant was regarded as the most modern automobile plant in the southern hemisphere.[4]

The first models produced were the BMW 1800 SA (from 1968) or 2000 SA (from 1969) derived from the Glas 1700.[5] First, the assembly took place from CKD-kits, which were sent to the production facilities to South Africa.[6] In 1973, the optically revised models 1804 and 2004 followed, which were only built for one year.[7]

From 1974, the BMW 5 Series was produced in South Africa from CKD kits.[8] This series existed until 1985, after which the interior and the engines of the new series E28 were received from 1982.[8] The new series E28 was also replaced later than in Germany (1989) by the series E34, which was the last 5 Series produced in South Africa.[8] Some of these 5 Series cars included the 530MLE, of which 105 to 110 homologation cars were sold to the public in 1976.[9]

Production of the BMW 745i began in 1983.[1] The vehicle was powered by the 3.5-liter engine of the BMW M1 and at the time was the fastest BMW 7 in the world.[10] By 1986, 192 vehicles of this type were to be manufactured.[11]

The BMW 333i with 6 cylinders and 3.2 L displacement produced from 1986 (according to another source 1985 to 1987[12]) was also only produced in South Africa.[12] It emerged in this type with 204 to 215 vehicles.[12] Another designation called the 325is was also only made for the South African market.[9]

South African BMW 3 Series models have also been exported to Australia since 1994 and to other countries since 1999.[1] After the take over of the Rover Group, the marketing and producing of Land Rover vehicles began.[1]

In South Africa, the BMW Group has the largest market share outside Germany, with 7.8% (2006).[4] In 2011, around three quarters of production was exported.[13] The production was limited to the 3 series.[14]

Since 2018, the X3 (G01) series has been manufactured in Rosslyn (in addition to the production in Spartanburg). At the same time, the production of the 3 series ended after 1,191,604 copies and five model generations.[14]

BMW models have already been named Car of the Year by the South African Motor Journalists Association (SAGMJ) seven times.[1]

• 1988: BMW 735i
• 1990: BMW 525i
• 1993: BMW 316i
• 1997: BMW 528i
• 2001: BMW 320d
• 2006: BMW 3 Series
• 2011: BMW 530d

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