Magna Steyr BMW X3 (E83) History

BMW's first X3 (internal code E83) was unusual: BMW designed the vehicle in conjunction with Magna Steyr, and Magna then manufactured every single unit at the Graz plant from 2003 to 2010 — there was no BMW-owned production of this generation. Annual capacity at the Austrian facility reached roughly 60,000 units. It was a landmark contract that established Magna Steyr as a capable builder of premium-segment vehicles.

When the first-generation run ended in 2010, BMW moved X3 production to its own plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for the second-generation F25, ending Magna's involvement with the nameplate. The E83 generation's Graz origin has since become a well-known piece of BMW trivia.