BMW 2011 Annual Report Download - page 197

Nearly 1.67 million customers chose to buy one of our vehicles in
2011; and more than 113,000 individuals purchased a motorcycle.
On behalf of our associates and partners worldwide, I would like to
thank every single one of them for their confidence in our brands.
2. World premiere of the new BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series has been crucial in shaping the reputation of the
BMW brand. The first BMW 3 Series rolled off the assembly line at
the Munich plant in 1975. On October 14, 2011, some 5,000 associates
gathered at the same location – together with the Board of Manage-
ment and the Works Council – to celebrate the world premiere
of its sixth generation. It was a moving event for all of us at the BMW
Group, as the photos capture.
Over 80 countries are represented at our Munich location. World-
wide, we have associates from 90 different nationalities. It is the
BMW spirit that unites us all. We are enthusiastic about our work
and keen to contribute our ideas. But, more than anything else,
we believe in our products and our company. This is part of our cor-
porate culture. It is what makes us strong and unique. This is BMW.
3. Putting future trends on the roads
To define the mobility of tomorrow, we need to be clear about what
our future customers want and what society expects from us.
For this reason, we are mindful of all our stakeholders and maintain
an ongoing dialogue with a wide range of groups. We always strive
to listen and learn. For example, you can read in this report how we
talked to secondary-school students about how they plan to get
around in the future. They developed their own unique visions of