
- 240 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
2017 Silver Medal Winner of the International Automotive Media Competition!
Relive the first one hundred years of Germany's best two- and four-wheeled rides.
Established in 1916, BMW is one of the auto and motorcycle industry's oldest and most-respected car and motorcycle manufacturers. Over the past century, the company went through myriad developments. The BMW Century chronicles this remarkable transportation company through images of the cars and motorcycles it manufactured, from the 1923 R32 motorcycle to sleek electric cars of today. This handsome volume is filled with images, history, and in-depth looks at the incredible machines BMW created year after year.
The BMW Century showcases how the company's new visionary team systematically rebuilt BMW in the post-World War II years into the spectacular success we know today - that is, a company with sales projected to be upwards of two million cars annually by 2016, led by its 3-series, the best-selling luxury-performance car in the world.
BMW's motorcycle division is no less legendary. It began with the 1923 avant-garde R32, which featured a 180-degree, horizontally opposed twin, the engine configuration that would become BMW's hallmark. Along the way, BMW would use that configuration to power groundbreaking machines like the R90S, R100RS, and R80GS. Beginning in 1983, they would add three- and four-cylinder machines to their offerings, culminating in today's spectacular S1000RR sport bike.
From the pre-war motorcycles to the iconic R-series twins of the 1970s and 80s to the mighty M-series cars and superbikes of today, The BMW Century offers a full review of German engineering at its finest. The book is illustrated with hundreds of historic, contemporary, and racing photographs - many sourced from BMW's archives - and detailed text relating the BMW's full history. This is the one volume no BMW aficionado can be without.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Foreword
- 1 High Flier from the Start
- 2 The Power to Fly
- 3 The Power of Six
- 4 The Boxer Legend
- 5 War and Postwar
- 6 Thinking Small
- 7 The Quandt Years
- 8 Flights of Fancy: BMW’s Concept Cars
- 9 The von Kuenheim Years, Part I: Bound for Glory
- 10 Power, Performance, and Art
- 11 The von Kuenheim Years, Part II: A New Style Emerges
- 12 The Boxer and After
- 13 The M Cars
- 14 Adventure and Misadventure
- 15 From Disaster to Dominance
- 16 BMW Unlocks the Mini Phenomenon
- 17 The Finest Car in the World
- 18 Powering through the Downturn
- 19 In Shape for the Future
- 20 The Next One Hundred Years
- Index
- Bibliography and Further Reading
- Acknowledgments