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For decades, BMW famously refused to make its North American cars outside Germany. In 1994, it began assemble 3-series sedans and the Z3 roadster in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Today, Spartanburg makes crossovers. But while this plant is being re-tooled, many X3 crossovers sold in the U.S. actually hail from BMW’s South Africa factory.

There have been many rumors among BMW fans, about which X3s come from South Carolina, and which come from South Africa. The long and short of it is that more than a “few” of these crossovers ar crossing an ocean before hitting U.S. dealerships.

Matt Sheng told the BMW X3 forum that is 2022 X3 30i xDrive was built in South Africa. Another member added that a 2022 BMW X3 at a Maryland dealership was from South Africa.

Row of 2010 BMW X3 crossovers on a production assembly line in South Carolina
2010 BMW X3 production in South Carolina | Nanine Hartzenbusch/For the Washington Post

Many BMW dealerships are actually labeling foreign X3 as from South Africa. I have seen several with “South Africa” in the model name. So in dealership inventories they may be listed as “xDrive30i Sports Activity Vehicle South Africa.” But dealership listings vary, not every location is doing this.

Curious where you BMW X3 comes from? There’s a quick way to tell: look at the VIN. Any vehicle with a VIN that starts in 1,4, and 5 is built in the U.S. Normally, a VIN beginning in W means a car was built in Germany. But in the case of BMW X3s for sale in the U.S., a “W” VIN means it was assembled in South Africa.

Next, find out which BMW sedan is made in Mexico, or see BMW’s South Africa factory for yourself in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.