BMW Group Korea has announced that it held a festival at the BMW Driving Center in Incheon, Yeongjong Island, from June 6th to 8th to commemorate its 30th anniversary. Over 18,000 people attended the event, during which BMW Group Korea reflected on the 30 years since entering the Korean automobile market in July 1995 and shared its future vision with the audience.
Parts from Korean companies partnered with BMW Group, such as Samsung SDI, Samsung Display, LG Group, Hankook Tire, and Sebang Battery, were also exhibited, emphasizing a commitment to mutual growth. The vehicle exhibition space showcased models representing BMW Group’s past, present, and future, ranging from heritage models to concept models.
The exhibition captivated visitors with classic BMW 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series from the 1990s, the Motorrad R 1100 R, current BMW and MINI models, the hydrogen fuel cell pilot model ‘BMW iX5 Hydrogen,’ and the ‘BMW Concept Skytop,’ a luxury roadster with only 50 units worldwide.
The newly revamped BMW New 1 Series and New 2 Series drew special attention with their debut in the domestic market. Participants experienced the dynamic and high performance of BMW vehicles through various taxi experiences on track and off-road and were impressed by the thrice-daily drift performances featuring BMW, MINI, and BMW Motorrad.
BMW Group Korea, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, introduced BMW Motorrad in 1999 and the premium small car brand MINI in 2005, leading the imported car industry. Despite many foreign companies and import car dealers withdrawing from the Korean market during the 1997 IMF financial crisis, BMW Group showed confidence in the market by continuing to invest.
The cumulative sales reached over 10,000 units in 2002 and 100,000 units in 2011. From 2009 to 2015, BMW Group Korea held the top spot in import car sales for seven consecutive years and achieved first place in domestic import car sales for two years in a row, following 2023.
BMW Group Korea is also committed to training electric vehicle maintenance experts. In collaboration with its German headquarters, the company runs an expert course to train specialized personnel in electric vehicle maintenance, boasting an industry-leading 348 experts as of the end of the previous year.
A representative from BMW Group Korea stated, “We operate 121 service centers, the most among import car companies (81 for BMW and 40 for MINI), and we will continue to repay the love Korean customers have shown for the past 30 years with various efforts, including the introduction of special limited edition models for BMW and MINI.”