Examining BMW sales brochures of the 80s and 90s

The BMW sales brochures of the 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s concentrated on the unique feeling one received from driving a BMW – focusing on technical aspects but to the core it was a status appeal that worked successfully. Nonetheless the quality of the words used to describe every inch of the car, every minute detail – surely this moves into the realm of art. Let’s be brutally honest – BMWs were not the best cars then and they aren’t now. Of course now cars are more generic than they were then and a Toyota Camry is pretty much as good as a BMW, really. And BMWs were really, really fine cars – but hardly the “Ultimate Driving Machine” that they were touted to be in the sales literature. Early E30s and E28s suffered from rust and electronics problems, and the whole BMW range up until the 1990s was verysensitive to heat and sun. However BMWs were superior in the field of design, unsurpassed by other brands.

To have any future, a modern car must provide all-round efficiency. (1984)

The 318i was the poster-child for an efficient, modern and environmentally responsible sports/luxury car. Environmental responsibility was something BMW took very seriously in the early 80s and late 70s – at a time when Japanese manufacturers were thinking things like “should we add doors and windows”? There was an integration of ergonomics into the whole function of BMWs. The brochures point out every painstaking detail and frankly can almost make your metaphorical mouth water through description. BMW’s bold use of computers was exciting in an era where computers dominated everyone’s fantasies:

The electronic information systems of BMW cars provide a wide range of data to help you optimise economy. So we are constantly moving closer to the ultimate achievement – a perfect team of man and machine. (1984)

As the brochures progress into the late 1980s we see much more confidence from BMW. By about 1988 BMW was the no.1 luxury car importer in Australia, and the V12 7-series had neatly trumped Mercedes’ equivalent offerings. So we begin to see more boldness in brochures:

How to recognise the best cars in the world. (1989)

This was based on the readers of a Euro magazine rating all series’ of the BMW as being the best in the world. To me the best are the 80s offerings because they are brimming with enthusiasm and superb work by wordsmiths. It’s almost like poetry at times, describing the hand-polished wood inserts in the 7-series (yeah right!), the fact that the E23 7-series has “the first gearbox with emotion” (ha! You mean that Economy, Sport or Manual setting? Who cares a rats about that!) and the many coats of paint and details in finishing, etc. As you can see one take humour at some of the extravagant claims in the brochures themselves, but that’s part of the fun for me as a Marketing professional. It’s adorable, really. Plus there are the glossy, sublime photos of all the models taken by top-notch photographers. Good Lord they are beautiful cars!

The quality of a BMW meets the most exacting demands. And it is not only the result of an exhaustive production process, but also the philosophy behind the process. (1985)

The individual alternative – BMW, or: Long live individualism (1983)

I don’t think that the brochures of today have that same spirit of enthusiasm and zest that they did back then – to me it’s an era forever encapsulated within these brochures. By the time I finish looking through my collection of vintage BMW brochures it makes me want to go and buy another car...and another one....