BMW Brilliance

Automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Shenyang, China

Gryspeerdt Automotive Ltd.

Company type

Joint venture

Industry

Automotive

Founded

27 March 2003

Headquarters

Shenyang, Liaoning

China

Area served

China

Key people

Jochen Goller (Chief Executive Officer and President)
Lei Xiaoyang (Chief Financial Officer and Senior Deputy President)^[1]

Products

Automobiles

Owners

BMW (75%)
Brilliance Auto (25%)

Number of employees

~3,900

Divisions

Zinoro

Chinese name

Simplified Chinese

华晨宝马汽车有限公司

Traditional Chinese

華晨寶馬汽車有限公司

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Huáchén Bǎomǎ Qìchē Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī

Website

www.bmw-brilliance.cn

BMW Brilliance (officially BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.) is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Shenyang, China and a joint venture between BMW (as majority holder) and Brilliance Auto. Its principal activity is the production, distribution and sale of BMW passenger cars in mainland China.

The BMW Brilliance Zinoro all-electric crossover, based on the BMW X1 (E84), is the first product of BMW Brilliance's new brand and the first new energy vehicle (NEV) from a Chinese premium manufacturer. Since early 2014 the Zinoro 1E is available for leasing only in Beijing and Shanghai.

History

On 27 March 2003 BMW and Brilliance Auto agreed to form a joint venture to produce BMW cars for the Chinese market, with BMW holding a 50 per cent stake, Brilliance Auto 40.5 per cent and the Shenyang municipal government 9.5 per cent.^[2]^[3] BMW and Brilliance agreed to invest an initial €450 million (US$483 million) in the venture.^[3] The first Chinese-made BMW, a BMW 325, was sold in October 2003.^[4]

In April 2009 BMW Brilliance announced that it would construct a second automobile assembly plant in China.^[5] Construction of the plant began in Shenyang in June 2010, with a planned cost of US$73.53 million and a production capacity of 100,000 units.^[6] Production at the plant began in May 2012.^[7]

In January 2011 BMW Brilliance announced that it would begin Chinese production of a BMW 5 series electric hybrid car later that year.^[8]

In 2013, BMW Brilliance opened a research and development centre. It was expanded in 2020, making it BMW's largest R&D centre outside of Germany.^[9]

In October 2018, BMW announced that it would increase its stake from 50% to 75%, making BMW the first foreign carmaker to take majority control of its joint venture in China.^[10]

In February 2022, BMW acquired a majority 75% stake in BMW Brilliance with Brilliance indirectly owning the remaining 25% of the company.^[11]

Products

BMW Brilliance currently produces the following vehicles:^[9]

BMW 3 Series (G20/G28) (1.6 litre, 2.0 litre and 3.0 litre)
BMW 5 Series (G68) (i5, 2.0 litre and 3.0 litre)
BMW X1 (U12)
BMW X3 (G01/G08) (2.0 litre and iX3)
BMW X5 (G18)

^[12]

Former products

BMW X1 (F49) (1.5 litre, 2.0 litre and Hybrid version)(2015–2022)
BMW X2 (F39) (2017–2023)
BMW 1 Series (F52) (1.5 litre and 2.0 litre) (2017–2023)
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (F45) (1.5 litre and 2.0 litre）(2014–2021)
BMW 3 Series (E46) (2.0 litre and 2.5 litre) (2004)
BMW 3 Series (E90) (2.0 litre and 2.5 litre) (2005-2012)
BMW 3 Series (F30/F35) (1.6 litre 2.0 litre and 3.0 litre) (2013-2019)
BMW 5 Series (E60) (2.2 litre to 3.0 litre) (2004-2010)
BMW 5 Series (F18) (2.0 litre and 3.0 litre) (2011-2017)

Gallery

BMW Brilliance 1-Series F52
BMW Brilliance 3-Series F35 Li
BMW Brilliance 5-Series G38 Li
BMW Brilliance X1-Series F49 Li
BMW Brilliance X1-Series F49 Le

Zinoro vehicles

Zinoro is a vehicle brand under BMW Brilliance specializing in electric vehicles.

Zinoro 1E
Zinoro 60H
Zinoro Concept Next

Sales

Calendar year	Total sales (vehicles produced in China)
2005	N/A
2006	22,500^[13]
2007	30,600^[13]
2008	N/A
2009	44,888^[14]
2010	N/A
2011	108,189^[15]
2012	N/A

References

^ "Company Overview of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ "BMW to manufacture cars in China". The Economic Times. 28 March 2003. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ ^a ^b "BMW signs China deal". BBC News. 27 March 2003. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ "First locally-built BMWs on sale this weekend - report". Just Auto. 16 October 2003. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ "BMW, Brilliance Auto to build second China plant". Reuters. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ "BMW-Brilliance starts building second plant". Gasgoo. 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ "2012 milestones, next year's mission for BMW Brilliance". China Daily. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
^ "BMW Brilliance to begin production of 5 series electric hybrid". Gasgoo. 24 January 2011. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ ^a ^b "BMW Brilliance launches new factory construction". electrive.com. 2020-04-02. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
^ "BMW to buy control of China venture in 'new era' for foreign carmakers". Reuters. 2018-10-10.
^ "Ad-hoc: BMW AG acquires majority stake in BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. leading to full consolidation effective 11 February 2022" (Press release). BMW. 2022-02-11. Retrieved 2022-02-11 – via Automotive World.
^ "BMW versorgt die kleineren Modelle mit mehr Strom".
^ ^a ^b "BMW Brilliance sales rise by 36 per cent in China". The Economic Times. 27 January 2008. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
^ "Brilliance sells 22,000 BMW cars in Jan-Apr, up 77.3%". Gasgoo. 28 May 2010. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
^ "Brilliance Auto's net profit grows over 24% in 2011, thanks to increase in BMW sales". Gasgoo. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.