In more than one way, BMW said that 2021 was a record-setting year.
The premium automaker's full-year sales tally of 336,444 was up 20.8% from 2021 in a market that rose just 3.3% but it built more cars in the U.S. than that.
The Spartanburg, South Carolina, factory produced 433,810 SUVs for local sales and export to over 120 countries, which was an increase of 20% over last year and more than 2019's output of 411,620 vehicles.
BMW Group has invested more than $11 billion into the facility, which is its largest in the world.
The fact that the Plant Spartanburg team set a production record during a very unpredictable year is a testament to the commitment and flexibility of our associates, said Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. BMW had secured enough semiconductor chips to maintain production at the key facility, unlike many automakers struggling with supply chain issues.
BMW's global sales chief Pieter Nota told Automotive News that they had the right quantities committed early on for 2021. We have a deal with chipmakers to secure several million semiconductors per year. The factory also built a record of approximately 70,000 electrified vehicles, which include hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and BMW's global sales of 2,213, 795 were the most ever.
Some high-end brands, including Lamborghini, Bentley and Rolls-Royce, reported their best years ever in 2021, as parts supplies for their high-margin vehicles were prioritized by their parent companies.