The one-millionth BMW-made Mini rolled off the assembly line in April. The car is now on display in the factory in Cowley, England, near Oxford, where BMW makes the iconic British roadster.

To celebrate, engineers gave the millionth Mini special wheels, interior trim, and decals.

But Cowley almost missed its chance to host the milestone. In the autumn of 2000, the then-87-year-old factory was scheduled to close, after struggling for years under a string of British owners.

Phil Ewers built Minis, the Morris Minor and the Rover 75 in the factory from 1968 until 2000, when he took one of a series of buyout offers. Back in the old days, the joke on the factory floor was that there were so many leaks in the roof that on a rainy day, the workers didn't need to shower at home.

"This used to be a cold, rundown and pretty dismal place," he says.

Things began to change when German auto giant BMW bought the Cowley plant's last U.K. owner, Rover, from British Aerospace in 1994 and then sold it in 2000, keeping control of Rover's Mini brand.

Shortly after the sale, BMW decided to invest in the Cowley plant, building a contemporary version of the Mini there. As the car has increased in popularity, Cowley's fortunes have risen, too.

The investment has rejuvenated the surrounding area. The Blackbird Leys housing projects were once notorious for crime and drugs. Today, the projects are clean and have suburban houses with flowers out front.

Johnson's Café, just outside the gates of the factory, has been serving breakfast to workers for three generations.

Andy Johnson, who opens the restaurant early to cater to workers who start their shifts in the morning, says BMW's decision has helped change the character of the neighborhood.

"There's a lot more stability," he says. "Foreign ownership has kept jobs in Oxford."