BMW-Brilliance Automotive Ltd.

BMW Brilliance (officially BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.) is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Shenyang, China and a joint venture between BMW 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.

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. BMW and Brilliance agreed to invest an initial €450 million (US$483 million) in the venture. The first Chinese-made BMW, a BMW 325, was sold in October 2003.

In April 2009 BMW Brilliance announced that it would construct a second automobile assembly plant in China. 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. Production at the plant began in May 2012.

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

In October 2018, BMW announced that it will increase its stake from 50% to 75%, making BMW the first foreign carmaker that takes control of its joint venture company in China.