Driven: Inside BMW

Most admired carmaker in the world

BMW is perhaps the most admired carmaker in the world - renowned for a level of luxury and performance that inspires near-fanatical loyalty in its customers. While other carmakers struggle with falling sales even with hefty rebates, BMW can't seem to make cars fast enough.
Combining world-class engineering, intelligent management, and a unique corporate culture, BMW produces consistently superior cars that are the most benchmarked vehicles in the industry. In Driven, David Kiley presents an inside look at the fabled automaker, revealing the business philosophy and practices that make BMW more than just another carmaker, and the unsurpassed quality that makes a "Bimmer" more than just a car. With uncommon access to BMW executives and records, David Kiley explains how the company emerged from the wreckage of World War II to become the most respected car producer and one of the most profitable automakers in the world.

BMW's business practices

David Kiley examines the business practices that put BMW on top, and the marketing efforts that keep it there. BMW's brand strength and knack for developing the most sought-after cars in the world inspire jealousy and admiration among marketers everywhere. Its well-crafted brand message - The Ultimate Driving Machine - is widely admired for its clarity and consistency, just as BMW's cars are admired for their authenticity and performance.
More than just a company, BMW is an iconic symbol of the successful rebirth of German industry. For the first time in the U.S. media, David Kiley introduces readers to the family behind BMW's success - the mysterious and secretive Quandts. Behind the walls of the family compound in Bad Homburg lives Johanna Quandt, one of Europe's wealthiest and most reclusive women, and her equally wealthy adult children, Stefan and Susanne, who successfully engineered a management coup in 1999. Driven not only tells the story of BMW, but also the story of one of the most powerful families in Europe. Excepting the occasional speed bump, BMW has seen more than four decades of steady growth and success.

Company's ups and downs

David Kiley explores the company's ups and downs from top to bottom, including the disastrous acquisition and eventual divestiture of the British Rover Group and the controversial hiring of head designer Chris Bangle. For business leaders who want to emulate the company's excellence, Driven digs deep to reveal the practices that make BMW the king of the road.
Driven: Inside BMW, the Most Admired Car Company in the World by David Kiley
ISBN: 0471269204

BMW Enthusiast's Companion

For more than 25 years, informed BMW owners have relied on Roundel, the magazine of the BMW Car Club of America, to make their Ultimate Driving Machines more ultimate. Now a selection of articles on driving, performance, service and tech tips have been collected in a single book. Whether you drive a sporting 325iC or the uncompromising 850CSi Sport Coupe, this book will serve as a valuable maintenance guide, performance handbook and technical reference source, to help you understand and care for your BMW.

Insights and technical information

Valuable insights and technical information ranging from basic service tips to advanced driving theory-written by BMW owners and club members specifically for BMW cars. Inside secrets on maintaining, preserving and caring for your BMW. Find out how to properly wash and wax your car without damaging the paint, and how to reset the service indicator lights. Driving techniques ranging from basic car control to choosing apexes on the track. Discover whether your car understeers or oversteers, and how weight transfer affects traction and vehicle dynamics.
Learn the difference between torque and horsepower, how to select the right tires for your BMW, which performance modifications work and which ones do not. Organized and indexed for quick access and easy use, this book contains extensive driving and performance tuning information. Favorite articles and series are bundled together, such as On Driving and Shade Tree Topics. BMW Enthusiast's Companion is a must-have for all BMW owners and enthusiasts.
BMW Enthusiast's Companion: Owner Insights on Driving, Performance and Service
ISBN: 0837603218

Complete Book of BMW: Every Model in the World since 1962

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.

High-quality sports saloon

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.

Remarkable turnaround

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. The Complete Book of BMW: Every Model in the World since 1962 by Tony Lewin
ISBN: 0760319510

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