Regular marked price: $34.95Discount Price: $30.78
Cost Savings: $4.17 (12%)Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 338.76292220943
EAN num: 9780471269205
ISBN number: 0471269204
Label: Wiley
Manufacturer: Wiley
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 320
Printing Date: April 02, 2004
Publishing house: Wiley
Sale Popularity Level: 160702
Studio: Wiley
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
An exclusive look at one of the world's most successful and controversial companies, and the mysterious family behind it.
BMW is arguably the most admired carmaker in the world. It's financial performance is the envy of its competitors, and BMW products inspire near-fanatical loyalty. While many carmakers struggle with falling sales, profits and market share, demand for BMWs continues to grow, frequently outpacing production. Now, David Kiley-Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today and author of Getting the Bugs Out, which covered Volkswagen's demise and rebirth, goes inside the fabled German automaker to see how it does what it does so well. With unprecedented acess to BMW executives, Kiley goes behind the walls of BMW's famed 'Four Cylinders' headquarters in Munich at a time when the company is in its most aggressive, and some say riskiest, expansion in its history and when some of the company's new products, like the 7 Series sedan and Z4 roadster, are for the very first time drawing as many barbs from critics as bouquets. Kiley covers intimate details of the boardroom drama surrounding the company's nearly disastrous acquisition and subsequent sale of the British Rover Group and its expansion into selling MINI and Rolls Royce cars. Besides being a world-class carmaker, BMW is also considered one of the smartest consumer marketing companies and Kiley explores the extraordinary value and management of the BMW brand mystique. He also takes a revealing look at the mysterious and ultra-private Quandt family of Bad Homburg Germany, which owns a controlling stake in BMW: Johanna and Susanne Quandt, two of the wealthiest women in Europe and Stefan Quandt, one of the wealthiest bachelors on the continent.
David Kiley (Ann Arbor, MI) is the Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today who has covered the auto industry for 17 years. He has been featured on Nightline, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and the Today show. He is also the author of Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America (0-471-26304-4), also available from Wiley.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
"Driven" is an engaging read and offers a good historical overview...or case study...of a well-known company and brand. The market for automobile manufacturers is difficult and volatile...so much so that BMW has recently touted its independence as a company as a factor that enables it to create and build its world-class and distinct vehicles.
This book chronicles the evolution and growth of BMW as a company in an interesting manner by focusing on both BMW's products and the people behind the company, in terms of both the management team and the owners.
For those who might be familiar with MBA-level case studies, this book offers a read akin to an extended and lively case study of a company and a brand. David Kiley, the author, delves into the personalities behind BMW and covers the importance of BMW as a brand in a readable manner.
Rated by buyers 
-
300 pages of BMW. It should be ultimate bliss for any car enthusiast. But it turns out to be a bit of a drag, like a car stuck in third gear, promises that it has the power to go, but just cannot deliver the power.
The book is a fairly good history of how an aircraft manufacturing company with known prowess in making aircraft engines, went almost defunct during the WWII and than came back to very first be seen as a serious car maker, than as a car brand that could compete with the famed Merc and than went on to overtake the Merc is global sweepstakes. And its subsequent buyout of Rolls, Mini and Rover too is well detailed out. And while the famed Bavarian company was able to turn on the magic for Rolls and Mini, its travails and failure to make good Rover too are well captured.
The book is divided in eight ultimate chapters. The Ultimate Cars, The Ultimate History, The Ultimate Family, The Ultimate Brand, The ultimate Stylists, The Ultimate Blunder, The Ultimate brand Expansion, and the Ultimate Hydrogen Future.
David had had ultimate acess to the BMW executives and archives. This acess comes through in almost every page in the book. The book goes into a painfully detailed history of company events. And instead of giving insights into what makes BMW a marvel of automobile engineering, we get a chronology of events.
Unfortunately David Kiley, is no Jeremy Clarkeson and Driven is not like "Born to be Riled". The book is too much of PR plug, with author seeing only side of the picture. But do read the book to know how fickle minded advertising pitch decisions are, and what led to the memorable BMW films campaign.
The book has its moments, but its few and far in between.
There may be no boring BMW, but there is a boring BMW book.
Rated by buyers 
-
As an auto industry follower, I can appreciate this book as a sort of historical reference for someone perhaps doing research. But as enjoyable reading, it falls far short. The book goes into a painfully detailed history of company events. In fact, I felt the title was a bit misleading, since it made me expect some interpretation as to why BMW is as admired as it is. Instead you basically get a chronology of events.
Rated by buyers -
As an auto industry follower, I can appreciate this book as a sort of historical reference for someone perhaps doing research. But as enjoyable reading, it falls far short. The book goes into a painfully detailed history of company events. In fact, I felt the title was a bit misleading, since it made me expect some interpretation as to why BMW is as admired as it is. Instead you basically get a chronology of events.
Rated by buyers 
-
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. We recommend 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.
Find other books like this one:
