Inside the BMW Factories: Building the Ultimate Driving Machine [Hardcover]

Graham Robson (Author), Caroline Schulenberg (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2008

BMW’s Bavarian blue and white propeller logo harks back to its early twentieth-century roots as an aircraft engine manufacturer. How this venerable company weathered two world wars, moved from aircraft to motorcycles and, finally, to the cars that would provide its greatest glory is the remarkable story recounted in this book.  With unique access to BMW’s factories and archives, author Graham Robson gives readers an inside look at how the great German automaker works and how its methods have evolved over the decades.  Visiting factories throughout Germany and in the United States he offers readers a rare, behind the scenes, nuts-and-bolts account of how BMW produces its famed models.  Illustrated with rare photographs from BMW’s own archives, this book constitutes an unprecedented tour of the history and culture of one of the world’s great automakers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A treasure trove of images and information to any BMW fan, this is a worthy book for the shelf.” – Mark J. McCourt, Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car

“This is a wonderful book that any collector should have.” – Michael Mitchell, The Roadster, Sandlapper BMW CCA Chapter

 “If you’ve ever had an interest of where it all started? I highly recommend this book. The pictures in this book are truly remarkable and worth the cost alone.” - Anthoney Casler

“A treasure trove of images and information to any BMW fan, this is a worthy book for the shelf.” – Mark J. McCourt, Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car

“Author Graham Robson deserves praise for gathering together such a fine collection of historic BMW photography…” - Classic Car Mart

“For me, it’s the early factory pictures that are of the most interest – there’s something magical about a line of brand-new 2002 Turbos.” - Classics Monthly

Book Description

With unique access to the great German automaker’s factories and archives, author Graham Robson gives readers an inside look at how BMW builds its cars and motorcycles and how it has evolved over nearly a century of production.  Visiting factories throughout Germany and in the United States he offers readers a rare, behind the scenes, nuts-and-bolts account of how BMW’s famed models are produced.  Illustrated with rare photographs from BMW’s own archives, this book constitutes an unprecedented tour of the history and culture of one of the world’s great automakers.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (November 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760334633
• ISBN-13: 978-0760334638
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > Professional & Technical > Automotive > Luxury

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Content, November 28, 2011

By 

Charles M - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Inside the BMW Factories: Building the Ultimate Driving Machine (Hardcover)

This book is a comprehensive review of BMW operations right from the beginning. That the company survived the post WW2 Germany economy is an accomplishment in itself. Great photos, too! I recommend this book for those interested in the history of the BMW product.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poorly written history of BMW, February 9, 2009

By 

Sun City Walt "Walt" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Inside the BMW Factories: Building the Ultimate Driving Machine (Hardcover)

The author has problems in writing clear American English and has no capacity for explaining clearly the historical flow of entities leading to the present day BMW organization. Over used wording such as "of course" detracts from what the author is trying to explain. Phrases like " ... Dixi (whose buildings were, of course, quite un-damaged)..." reflect a conclusion not supported, i.e., it is not obvious why the buildings were not damaged. Also overused is "therefore" which the author has a tendency to apply in non-relationship situations. The author provides mile and km figures together but fails to define purely British English terms such a bonnet.He also uses "machine" to refer to either an automobile or to a machine used in the production of an automobile. No mention is made that BMW has the worlds first "green" automotive paint shop utilizing recycled landfill methane gas to power the ovens in its paint shop. Nothing is said of BMW's pioneering work on hydrogen engines or of the Mini electric. The book provides no model specifications and production information and excludes the modern manufacture of motorcycles, although it includes the motorcycle portion (through to the R39) of the company's history. The book's best features are the photographs included: these alone are worth the price. The reader is advised to seek other sources in order to gain an understanding of BMW not-so-complex beginnings.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very nice photography of manufacturing plants, June 18, 2010

By 

Manuel "Moe" G "Moe" (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Inside the BMW Factories: Building the Ultimate Driving Machine (Hardcover)

Very nice photography of the BMW manufacturing plants and buildings. Also interesting history of the company.