Re: A look inside BMW, quality, customers, etc (was "Don't buy a new model BM...

["Steve Makohin" <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: <PGK75S@xxxxxxx>

> In a message dated 9/1/05 11:09:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> << I recommend the book "DRIVEN: Inside BMW, the world's most admired car
> company" for anyone who wants to understand BMW's direction, and why they
> are the way they are. I believe that through understanding, you may gain
> some insight into BMW, and perhaps ease some frustration if BMW's recent
> direction has left you cold.
>
> Of course everyone should form their own opinion but I found it toi be a 
> real
> "puff" piece and wondered if it was underwritten by AG.

I, on the other hand,  found it to be the most informative and insightful 
single read that explains the workings, history, and motivation of The 
Brand. My only criticism is that I wish they would have spent more time on 
the new "Flame Surface" styling. But considering when the book was written, 
"Flame Surface" was still fairly new.

Perhaps your "wonderings" that BMW "underwrote" this book is because it gave 
credit where credit was due, and identified a number of good and noteworthy 
things about BMW (the company), rather than just slamming it as the Evil 
Creator Of Crappy And Overpriced Vehicles? ;-)  Accurately stating that BMW 
paid several billions of DM essentially to buy the Mini brand, when you 
factor in the megalithic losses of the Rover group, and the fact that BMW 
actually paid a consortium hundreds of millions of DM to take Rover off 
their hands, is anything but a flattering write-up in my opinion. If anyone 
has doubts, I suggest you do your own research into the author, David Kiley, 
to allay such "wonderings".

- -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada 

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