Today, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing is one of the BMW Group’s 31 production sites around the globe. The plant’s history began in 1967 when BMW took the first major steps beyond the city limits of Munich for its automotive production – the start of an expansion of production capacities that continues to this day.

Everybody is thrilled when in November 1970 then-Bavarian State Governor Alfons Goppel lays the foundation stone for the new BMW vehicle plant 2.4 in Dingolfing: following the discontinuation of the Goggomobil, cars will be built again in Dingolfing. Less than three years later, on September 27, 1973, the first BMW made in Dingolfing rolls off the assembly line at the new hall. It is a red BMW 520 of the first BMW 5 Series generation. 

With the BMW 6 and 7 Series joining Dingolfing’s production program from 1977 onward, the site continues to grow: a new press shop is set up in former Eicher factory buildings in 1972; in 1978, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new administration building takes place and a new high-bay storage facility at Plant 2.2 (central parts delivery) is commissioned. 

In 1975, the site reached the magic mark of 100,000 BMW cars produced. At the end of the decade, Dingolfing can already look back at half a million vehicles made.

Production output continues to rise through the 1990s: the BMW production in Dingolfing reaches three million vehicles in 1991 and four million only five years later.

The middle of the decade is marked by important model changes: 1994 sees the launch of the third-generation BMW 7 Series and 1995 the launch of the fourth-generation BMW 5 Series, Dingolfing’s high-volume model. At the end of the decade, the BMW 8 Series is discontinued after 10 years and more than 30,000 vehicles produced. In turn, the production of the Z8 begins. The luxury roadster is assembled in Munich, but due to its strong aluminum expertise Dingolfing delivers the respective car bodies.

Over the course of the 1990s, Dingolfing receives several awards to honor the site’s high quality standards. In 1992, the component plant 2.1 is voted ‘Factory of the Year’; one year later, the vehicle plant receives the Bavarian Quality Award. Awards by the renowned U.S. market researcher J.D. Power follow in 1995, 1998 and 1999. J.D. Power infers the quality rating of automotive factories from customers’ satisfaction with new vehicles. In 1988, Plant Dingolfing is honored for its outstanding product quality with the Platinum Plant Award as the ‘World’s Best Automotive Factory’.

Milestones in production are the introduction of the both innovative and environmentally friendly powder-based paint technology in the paint shop in 1997 and the commissioning of the world’s largest suction bar transfer press in 1999.

Following the economic crisis of the late 2000s, the recovery begins as early as 2010. The new, highly successful next generation of the BMW 5 Series is launched, to be followed by the new 6 Series one year later. Production output increases, reaching new record highs over the next few years. In 2014, for instance, Dingolfing builds almost 370,000 cars – also thanks to another expansion of the plant’s model lineup. Following a break of over ten years, 2013 sees the return of the 3 Series to the site, in the form of the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo. From 2014 on, Dingolfing also manufactures the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, taking the total up to 5 model series and 15 different variants.

In late 2012, a major, multi-year plant expansion begins. With the so-called ‘westward expansion’ the plant prepares for future model generations and new technologies. Among the new facilities are a new body shop and a new CFRP production. Both are commissioned in 2015, with the launch of the new BMW 7 Series. Surrounding assembly, a new delivery center, a new automated small-parts storage and optimized traffic and material flows ensure that the site can manage the continuously increasing complexity. 

With the new BMW 7 Series and its mix of materials – aluminum, steel and CFRP – the BMW Group and Plant Dingolfing set new standards in intelligent lightweight construction. On top of that, the site makes its mark as a center of excellence for the production of electric drive components. Due to the extensive aluminum expertise of Plant 2.1 and its experience in prototyping with alternative drives, the site has been providing Plant Leipzig with high-voltage batteries, electric transmissions and aluminum chasses for the BMW i electric models since 2013. From 2014 onward, construction is under way at Plant 2.2 for a new production facility for electric drives and high-voltage batteries to be fitted in future BMW Group plug-in hybrids.