Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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

Good technical data, in-depth info about every model. Need to publish new updated one with latest stuff.

High quality the inside as well as the outside. Exactly what I was looking for.

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 with production figures.

Comprehensive, well-backed material, and well written. Great pictures as well, many of which have not been widely circulated.

Offers a well-scripted macro-view of BMW's early and modern history, including its motorsport ventures. Technical data and specifications on each model are included, along with several articles on (the many) technical advances pioneered by BMW.

Great for the serious or casual enthusiast.

My son the BMW Guru has just about memorized the book