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Driven

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Driven

Inside BMW, the Most Admired Car Company in the World

Wiley,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Think of a BMW: luxury, upscale image, excellent cars - these things do not happen by accident, you know.

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Anyone who has ever driven a BMW wonders why the car feels so uncannily nimble and supple. Automotive journalist David Kiley answers that question with an intriguing book that strikes just the right balance between gearhead details, behind-the-scenes corporate maneuvering and compelling story telling. Along the way, Kiley offers insight into BMW’s mostly successful efforts to build its brand. While Kiley sings BMW’s praises, and presents a convincing case that BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) produces the world’s best cars, he doesn’t shy away from the details of the owning family’s ups and downs, the company’s disastrous Rover deal or the public’s tepid response to its latest redesigns. getAbstract recommends this fascinating book to auto enthusiasts and to managers in any industry who aim to build a brand while staying true to their core values.

Summary

Building the Ultimate Driving Machine

BMW's invariably excellent cars have earned it the loyalty of auto enthusiasts and the envy of its competitors. To keep its brand strong, the German auto maker has maintained a laser focus on its high-end market. Most automakers can't say that. Porsche and Mercedes tried adding low-end offerings to their otherwise ritzy lineups, while Volkswagen has added a $70,000 luxury sedan, an anomaly for a company that sells cars as cheaply as $16,000. BMW avoids such marketing stretches, in part due to its consistent strategy. In an era when automakers are known for schizophrenic changes in focus and strategy, BMW has steadfastly positioned its product as "the ultimate driving machine."

Since it first began selling cars in the United States in the late 1960s, BMW has set the industry standard for design, engineering, quality and marketing. In the process, it has become the world's most-admired auto maker. True, Toyota and Honda are steadily profitable and provide impeccable quality. Yet as reliable and practical as the two Japanese companies' vehicles are, they also tend to possess all the soul of a refrigerator or washing machine. Honda...

About the Author

Veteran auto journalist David Kiley is USA Today’s Detroit bureau chief. He has appeared on CNBC, CNN and National Public Radio and is also the author of Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America.

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    M. d. 7 years ago
    Well, you love BMW already, then it will confirm your choice. If not the book will not convert you. Sounds like a marketing book written by BMW. It didn't leave me with more insights.