The Complete Book Of Bmw

The Complete Book of BMW is a master work. The word 'definitive' is a bold claim but this book should be viewed in this light. It is the most comprehensive survey of BMW Group models from the 501 right up to this year's 1 and 6 Series published in the English language. Data tables covering specifications, production volumes and prices will be invaluable to the BMW enthusiast and the layout and production volumes are second to none. Tony Lewin deserves high praise for this outstanding book. - Chris Willows, Corporate Communications Director, BMW Great Britain BMW is the most remarkable phenomenon to hit the auto industry in a generation. Celebrated for its luxury sports cars, motorcycles and aero engines in the pre-war era, it squandered its glamorous heritage in the 1950s; on its knees and near-bankrupt, it was rejected as a lost cause when offered by desperate banks to Mercedes-Benz. But thanks to a wealthy German aristocrat, a brilliant engineer and a young and inspirational manager, Mercedes would soon regret not having scooped up the once-glorious firm: pioneering the concept of the compact, high-quality sports saloon, the visionary new team systematically built BMW into the spectacular success we know today. Through the most expressive medium of all - the cars themselves - The Complete Book of BMW tells the story of one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the century. From the iconic 2002tii of the 1960s through the mighty M3 of the 1990s to today's born-again MINI and the crowning glory of the Rolls-Royce Phantom.- Every model since 1962- Technical specifications and performance data- Production and sales data- Key decisions that made BMW great- Von Kuenheim's brilliant template- Taking technology leadership- 1,600 color photographs- The new focus: premium at every levelAbout the AuthorTony Lewin is an automotive writer and commentator specializing in the business and design sides of the auto industry. He has reported on the automobile sector for more than two decades as editor of industry publications such as What Car?, Financial Times Automotive World and World Automotive Manufacturing, and as a regular columnist in magazines and newspapers in Europe, Japan and the United States.General AudienceThe Complete Book of BMW tells the remarkable story of the company and its cars. From the luxury sports cars and motorcycles of the pre-war era through its rebirth at the hands of a wealthy German aristocrat, a brilliant engineer, and an inspired manager during the past two decades, the book uses the most expressive medium of all-the cars themselves-to illustrate the story of one of the most remarkable turnarounds in automotive history.

The Complete Book of BMW Motorcycles offers a thorough year-by-year guide to every production machine ever built by Germany’s leading motorcycle manufacturer. From the first model, the 1923 R32 that launched BMW's motorcycle dynasty, to the latest (and fastest) superbike, the S1000RR, this book captures nearly a century of motorcycling excellence in a combination of historic and contemporary photos. Technical specs are provided for each model. This comprehensive review covers all of BMW's bike families: The side-valve machines from the early years The early overhead-valve performance bikes The modern Airheads and Oilheads The four-cylinder and six-cylinder touring bikes The early pushrod singles The modern overhead-cam singles The latest parallel twins, and inline-four cylinder sport bikes Among them, you'll find all the classic bikes—pre-World War II BMWs like the R5 that defined performance in that era; the military R12 that carried the Wehrmacht as it blitzkrieged its way across Europe; the Earles-forked R69S that offered the perfect platform for mounting a Steib sidecar; the R90S café racer; the K1 “flying brick”; and the GS (Gelände Sport) series that launched a dual-sport revolution right up to today’s world-class S100RR and retro-inspired R nine T. Like the other titles in Motorbooks' Complete Book series, this guide to BMW's motorcycle output offers the most complete reference to the subject available.

The BMW Century profiles one hundred years of BMW car and motorcycle manufacturing a decade at a time with gorgeous photos and detailed text.

The E30 3 Series was the car that defined BMW more than any other during the 1980s, and it has gone on to become a much-loved modern classic. This book tells the full story of the cars from the time in 1976 when work first began on the successor to the original E21 3 Series. This new book features the story of how and why BMW designed their new compact E30 saloon for the 1980s; the styling, engineering and specification changes introduced over the lifetime of the model. There are full technical specifications, including paint and interior trim choices given along with a chapter on the special US variants. Details of the M3 and the cars produced by the leading German tuners and finally, there is a chapter on buying and owning a BMW E30.

An exclusive look at one of the world's most successful and controversial companies, and the mysterious family behind it. BMW is arguably the most admired carmaker in the world. It's financial performance is the envy of its competitors, and BMW products inspire near-fanatical loyalty. While many carmakers struggle with falling sales, profits and market share, demand for BMWs continues to grow, frequently outpacing production. Now, David Kiley-Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today and author of Getting the Bugs Out, which covered Volkswagen's demise and rebirth, goes inside the fabled German automaker to see how it does what it does so well. With unprecedented access to BMW executives, Kiley goes behind the walls of BMW's famed "Four Cylinders" headquarters in Munich at a time when the company is in its most aggressive, and some say riskiest, expansion in its history and when some of the company's new products, like the 7 Series sedan and Z4 roadster, are for the first time drawing as many barbs from critics as bouquets. Kiley covers intimate details of the boardroom drama surrounding the company's nearly disastrous acquisition and subsequent sale of the British Rover Group and its expansion into selling MINI and Rolls Royce cars. Besides being a world-class carmaker, BMW is also considered one of the smartest consumer marketing companies and Kiley explores the extraordinary value and management of the BMW brand mystique. He also takes a revealing look at the mysterious and ultra-private Quandt family of Bad Homburg Germany, which owns a controlling stake in BMW: Johanna and Susanne Quandt, two of the wealthiest women in Europe and Stefan Quandt, one of the wealthiest bachelors on the continent. David Kiley (Ann Arbor, MI) is the Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today who has covered the auto industry for 17 years. He has been featured on Nightline, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and the Today show. He is also the author of Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America (0-471-26304-4), also available from Wiley.

BMW's M5 was a simple concept: a production 5 Series saloon re-developed for high performance by the Motorsport division. The M5 was the car that really initiated the legend of the M-cars from BMW; the letter M had been applied to a high-performance BMW as early as 1978, but that year's M1 was an exotic supercar. It had the right image, but the M1 was never going to bring in major profits. The M5 was much simpler in concept. It was and remains a production 5 Series saloon, redeveloped for ultra-high performance. Manufacturing costs were minimized, allowing BMW to price the car more attractively and still bring in healthy profits. This new book charts the development of the M5 across five generations. For all fans of the BMW M5, this book provides essential background, and is packed with the facts and details that make the M5 legend come alive. The M5 is still in production and remains the benchmark high-performance saloon wherever it is sold. This is essential background reading for all BMW M5 fans and motoring enthusiasts and is superbly illustrated with 211 colour photographs.

No motorcycle manufacturer is more closely associated with one type of engine than BMW: the air-cooled boxer twin or 'airhead'. It was included in BMW's very first motorcycle in 1923 and virtually every machine the company made, of every type, from radical road bike to TT winner, to land speed record holder, to 1970s style icon and even to the creation of an all-new adventure bike class with the R 80 G/S, right up to the mid-1990s. Phil West celebrates the success of the BMW airhead twin motorcycles. This book, with over 290 photographs, includes a history of the company pre- and post-War; the personalities behind the development of the bikes; profiles of each of the 'R' bikes in turn, including detailed specification guides and production numbers. These wonderful machines are regularly celebrated and now BMW itself is harking back to them with an all-new series of machines.

Few cars in recent years have inspired such devotion among enthusiasts as the BMW M3. Now entering its fifth generation, BMW's compact performance car is recognized worldwide as the benchmark of its type. BMW M3 - The Complete Story looks in detail at the first four generations of the M3, which arrived in the mid-1980s as an E30 'homologation special', intended to keep BMW ahead of rivals Mercedes-Benz on the racetracks. But the M3 soon became very much more than that. Before long, buyers latched onto its exclusivity and turned it into a status symbol - and BMW was only too happy to exploit that. For all fans of the BMW M3, this book provides the essential background. It is packed with facts and details that make the M3 legend come alive. With over 250 photographs, the book covers: the original E30 M3 of 1986 - from a 'homologation special' to a status symbol; design and development of the E36 M3, including a new 6-cylinder engine and more body choices; the E46 M3 of 2000, with the developed 6-cylinder S54 engine and gearshift advances; racing success for the E90-series M3s, introduced in 2007 with V8 engines; driving, buying and special editions of all the models.