When historians come to write the story of the first 100 years of BMW, considerable attention will be given to the period 1995 to 2005.
Within 10 years the majority of UK car owners will no longer be buying their cars – they'll be leasing them. That's the vision of BMW, which expects its rising finance penetration – last year 37 per cent; this year 41 per cent – to continue. Frank Munk, chief executive at BMW Group Financial Service GB, predicts that the UK will follow the example of the American market where drivers have no interest in owning their cars.
For the first time since its addition of the MINI and Rolls Royce brands to its portfolio, BMW Group is appointing separate brand marketing managements to BMW and to each of the newcomers.
BMW has opened a new purpose- built performance centre at Rock-ingham, Northamptonshire to cater for in-house and external driving activities.
The new BMW Performance Centre at the Rockingham race circuit near Corby, Northants, will accommodate a programme of internal and external BMW activities, featuring BMW cars, motorcycles and associated technologies.
Following their acquisition of the Warwick BMW dealership in February 2001, former F1 driver Damon Hill and Nick Whale have acquired a second dealership in partnership.
Although the Automotive Academy announced by the Government will not be fully operational until later next year, BMW, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, MG Rover Group, Nissan, and Leyland Trucks are amongst those who have already appointed senior directors to sit on the Academy's Project Board.
Lookers Group is involved in discussions with BMW and Mercedes-Benz as it looks to add the two premium brands to its portfolio.
MG has launched a V8-powered version of its ZT saloon and ZT-T estate. Powered by Ford's 260bhp, 4.6-litre V8 engine, used in North America in the Mustang, the rear- wheel drive MG ZT 260 V8 hopes to compete with the likes of the BMW 330i, Jaguar X-Type and Volvo S60 T5.
Glass's Market Intelligence Service suggests that the residual values for prestige convertibles (e.g. Mercedes CLK Cabriolet, Audi A4 Cabriolet) and larger 4x4s (e.g. Range Rover, BMW X5) aged one- to three-years-old out-perform those of the rest of the market.
Specialist German motor trade lawyer Dr. Christian Genzow has told the trade website autohaus-online that a Munich court has delivered its verdict in respect of one of three temporary injunctions sought by the German association of BMW dealers.
Guildford-based BMW retailer, Vines, is investing £15 million in a major revamp of its showrooms, along with the relocation of its Redhill and Crawley sites.
Designed as a launch-pad for the next generation of GP drivers, Formula BMW, already running in Germany and some Asian countries, is coming to the UK next year.
BMW Group Financial Services Great Britain, which provides finance, leasing and insurance facilities to BMW and MINI customers in the UK, reached a milestone on 10 September 2003 with the company's portfolio of active customers breaking through the 100,000 barrier for the first time.
The BMW Group announced at Frankfurt that it is studying a technology “able to truly expand the real world”: Augmented Reality. Wearing data glasses, the user is able to perceive virtual objects and presentations superimposed on the "real" environment around him.
BMW's particle filter launched at Frankfurt this week will be entering the market in the course of next year, enabling even BMW's larger and more powerful models to fully maintain the EU4 emission standard. The BMW Group's smaller diesel models will fulfill EU4 legislation even without a particle filter.
H.R. Owen Plc has acquired the Chelsea BMW and Mini franchises from the Sytner Group - the final stage in creating one of the largest BMW areas of responsibility in the UK.
BMW and Peugeot dealers are coming to terms with an uncertain future after the two carmakers issued five-year retail agreements under the revisions to block exemption.
The first prototypes of BMW's all-new E90 3-series, which is due to be launched at the 2005 Frankfurt Show, are now venturing out of the proving ground for extended testing. And although the cars are heavily disguised, it appears the E90 may be the least adventurous of Chris Bangle's recent designs.
Inchcape has created the UK's largest BMW territory with the acquisition of six BMW dealerships at a cost of £18.9m. The move, which AM exclusively revealed in its June 27 issue, cements Inchcape's position at No 6 in the AM100 and is expected to take the group past £1bn turnover.
