9781422279540

INTRODUCTION

This reputation struck a chord with a rising generation of young American professionals during the 1980s, and the marque quickly became a status sym- bol. Having a “Beemer” meant that you had arrived, and had an appreciation for the performance and engineering elegance found in these cars. Champion Racing Cars Such a solid package also became, in many instances, the foundation for cham- pionship production-based racing cars. BMW’s engines powered the Brabham Formula One grand-prix car that Nelson Piquet drove to the world champion- ship in 1983. During the 1970s, a series of racing machines—“art cars”—was hand-painted by such modern masters as Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol. After being raced in events such as the 24 hours of LeMans, these cars were fit- tingly displayed in the BMW Museum in Munich and continue to be displayed at art galleries and car events around the world. Multinational Today, BMW is a global enterprise, with thirteen subsidiaries in Germany as well as twenty-seven foreign subsidiaries. BMW recently opened a state- of-the-art facility in South Carolina which builds their Z3 two-seat roadsters. There is a design studio in California, and a new Research and Engineering Center in Munich, advanced in both operating concept and in the futuristic nature of its products, creating what will no doubt be standard-bearers for performance and sophistication in the next millennium. As these pages will attest, BMW has been striving toward this goal throughout its history.

BMW History

The “M” cars, known pri- marily as high performance

automobiles, are no slouch in the appointments department either. The optional custom leather interior of this M5 features hides on the dashboard as well!

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