THE ride, handling and all-round appeal of BMW’s 3 Series, a sporty saloon car, makes it a benchmark for other vehicles of its type. The German firm, which celebrates its centenary on March 7th, has also become a benchmark for success in the motor industry. The world’s biggest maker of premium-priced cars is well run, has grown steadily and made profits consistently for years. But as the beer flows and the oompah bands parp at the huge party thrown at its headquarters in Munich, BMW’s bosses may be scratching their heads about how to stay ahead of the pack.
BMW began life in 1916 assembling aircraft engines. Restrictions on Germany’s planemaking after the first world war encouraged it to diversify, first into motorbikes, and then in 1923 into making its first car. In 1933 it launched the 303 (pictured above), ancestor to today’s 3 Series, and the first BMW to feature the distinctive double kidney-shaped front grille. Though stylish and technically advanced, BMW’s pricey models at first sold in small quantities. At the end of the 1950s sales of motorbikes, on which the company still relied, faltered as cars from mass-market firms hit the...Continue reading
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