The Complete Book of BMW: Every Model In the World Since 1950 (Hardcover)

by Tony Lewin (Author)
Key Phrases: transverse upper links, twin transverse links, assisted assisted assisted, Bosch Motronic, Land Rover, Transmission Chassis (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Roundel, August 2005 (circ.: 65,000)

“Occasionally, a book comes along that is important to have on your bookshelf not because it’s the most engrossing to read, but because of the sheer completeness and accuracy of its contents. The Complete Book of BMW is one such book."

Product Description
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 Ph! antom.

"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

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Product Details Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (December 25, 2004) Language: English ISBN-10: 0760319510 ISBN-13: 978-0760319512 Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.4 x 1.3 inches Shipping Weight: 5.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,088 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #9 in  Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Luxury #10 in  Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Pictorial #17 in  Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > History

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
transverse upper links, twin transverse links, assisted assisted assisted, sohc sohc, power assisted assisted, injection common rail turbo diesel, lower lateral control arm, aluminium subframes, injection turbo diesel, auto optional, active front steering, variable valve lift, servo assisted, variable geometry turbocharger, kidney grilles, variable valve timing, diesel direct injection, injection turbocharger, assistance optional, recirculating ball, lower wishbones, outgoing model, lower control arms, sequential option, injection fuel injection

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Bosch Motronic, Land Rover, Transmission Chassis, Performance Marketing, Neue Klasse, Steptronic Rear, Engine Inline, Eberhard von Kuenheim, United States, Body Steel, Bosch L-Jetronic, Formula One, Twin Zenith, Valves Valve, Engine Valves, Herbert Quandt, Bernd Pischetsrieder, Chris Bangle, Range Rover, South Africa, Baroque Angel, British Aerospace, Paul Bracq, Wolfgang Reitzle, Alex von Falkenhausen

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 1 book:

• In It by Gale Nelson on page 110

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews 5 star:  (6) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.5 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 34 of 35 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Too many typos and omissions, September 24, 2005 By  J. M. Owens (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I bought this book hoping for a comprehensive, encyclopedic reference for BMWs from 1950 onward...sort of what "The Complete Book of BMW..." might lead you believe. Unfortunately, nearly every other page there are typos (referring to one model when they clearly mean another), omissions (no stats for the e28 535i???), and stupid errors (several of the production tables are blatently wrong, like that there were 60 318ti's produced in 1995; others don't add up, like the 6 series table that states: 972 + 3,325 + 3,668 = 5). I wrote to the publisher with my disappointment, and they never got back to me. Though this book has lots of pretty pictures, and no doubt lots of correct info, I am left wishing I had put my money toward something else. A book with a cover price of $60 (thank goodness amazon sells it less) should at least have a few editors read through it, or even some enthusiast proofreaders. I counted no less than 10 errors in my first hour of skimming, and I'm only moderately knowledgeable about BMW history. Maybe the second edition will be an improvement...if it gets that far. 6 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive, November 19, 2006 By  J. J. Noh (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    The book is almost four hundred pages long, but most of that is pictures and the type is pretty big. So, you can probably finish the book in a couple of sittings. I'm pretty familiar with the BMW story, and I did not find many inaccuracies. The book is written from a European perspective. So, torque is given in N m instead of in lb ft. And money is listed in DM, pound sterling or in Euros, but most books on BMW are written from European point of view. I will say that the copy editor probably was not very interested in the subject matter or familiar with BMW. So, there are a few mistakes in the text, but all in all the book was thorough and comprehensive. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Big BMW Book, January 18, 2007 By  Stephen R. Stokes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    It's a big glossy book all right....but spends about 75% of its space on specs.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars very good book Good technical data, in-depth info about every model. Need to publish new updated one with latest stuff. Published 2 months ago by Guerino Maietta 5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for every BMW fan High quality the inside as well as the outside. Exactly what I was looking for. Published 9 months ago by Peter Raffai 5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Book of BMW: Every Model In the World Since 1950 An excellent, well-written book with superb illustrations. This book contains a wealth of information about all models BMW has manufactured around the world since 1950, together... Read more Published 12 months ago by Juris Bergs 5.0 out of 5 stars BMW - Great Book My son the BMW Guru has just about memorized the book Published on January 15, 2007 by PQW 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book! Comprehensive, well-backed material, and well written. Great pictures as well, many of which have not been widely circulated. Read more Published on July 19, 2005 by M. Tung-Yep Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (December 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760319510
• ISBN-13: 978-0760319512
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,088 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #9 in	Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Luxury
  #10 in	Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Pictorial
  #17 in	Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too many typos and omissions, September 24, 2005

By	J. M. Owens (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book hoping for a comprehensive, encyclopedic reference for BMWs from 1950 onward...sort of what "The Complete Book of BMW..." might lead you believe. Unfortunately, nearly every other page there are typos (referring to one model when they clearly mean another), omissions (no stats for the e28 535i???), and stupid errors (several of the production tables are blatently wrong, like that there were 60 318ti's produced in 1995; others don't add up, like the 6 series table that states: 972 + 3,325 + 3,668 = 5). I wrote to the publisher with my disappointment, and they never got back to me.

Though this book has lots of pretty pictures, and no doubt lots of correct info, I am left wishing I had put my money toward something else. A book with a cover price of $60 (thank goodness amazon sells it less) should at least have a few editors read through it, or even some enthusiast proofreaders. I counted no less than 10 errors in my first hour of skimming, and I'm only moderately knowledgeable about BMW history. Maybe the second edition will be an improvement...if it gets that far.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive, November 19, 2006

By	J. J. Noh (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book is almost four hundred pages long, but most of that is pictures
and the type is pretty big. So, you can probably finish the book in a
couple of sittings.

I'm pretty familiar with the BMW story, and I did not find many inaccuracies. The book is written from a European perspective. So, torque is given in N m instead of in lb ft. And money is listed in
DM, pound sterling or in Euros, but most books on BMW are written from
European point of view.

I will say that the copy editor probably was not very interested in the
subject matter or familiar with BMW. So, there are a few mistakes
in the text, but all in all the book was thorough and comprehensive.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Big BMW Book, January 18, 2007

By	Stephen R. Stokes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's a big glossy book all right....but spends about 75% of its space on specs.