[REPORT]
40 years BMW Motorrad manufacturing
BMW celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Berlin Spandau plant
Officially, BMW Motorrad’s motorcycle manufacturing in its Berlin Spandau facility began in 1969 with 400 employees and an initial target of 30 units a day. This however was just the final chapter of a story that began three decades earlier. Back in 1939, BMW AG identified Berlin Spandau as a suitable production site. Previously the area was owned by the Siemens & Halske, which in 1928 built aircraft engines. In 1939 this company went into possession of BMW AG and served until the end of the war as a production facility for BMW engines, including the nine-cylinder radial engines for the legendary Junkers JU 52.
After the war, the factory in Berlin-Spandau – like many others – was dismantled by the Allies. The production of motorcycle parts started in 1949 - a first step towards the gradual shift of production from the Isar River to the Spree. In 1958 Berlin Spandau started manufacturing parts for BMW cars.
Relocation of motorcycle production from Munich to Berlin.
In the mid-sixties due to the fast-growing automobile production, BMW chose to rationalize its production concentrating motorcycle manufacturing in Berlin with its well-trained workforce. In 1969, the production of the completely new BMW 5 series would finally commence. BMW Motorrad placed three new models on the market: the 32 hp R50/5, designed for police service, the R60/5, which created a broad enthusiasts’ basis among tour riders with its 42 hp, and ultimately the R75/5, whose 50 hp boxer and dynamic riding with a 175 km/h top speed provided for great sales success internationally.
As motorcycling came back into fashion at the beginning of the 70s, the manufacturing activity in Berlin had to be intensified. In 1970 already 12,287 vehicles had left the factory, and already in July 1973 exactly 68,956 motorcycles of the 5 series had been built.
Rapid development - from zero to 100,000 in six years.
Already in January 1975 the 100,000 unit milestone was touched.
The new 7 series was welcomed by a huge sales success and made an expansion of the factory in Berlin-Spandau inevitable. A new assembly hall was added to the production facilities and symbolically inaugurated by the then Federal President Walter Scheel. The goal of 200 million D-marks investment in the Berlin-Spandau plant, was to achieve a capacity of 60,000 BMW motorcycles a year and lead to the creation of new jobs.
BMW Motorcycles from Berlin-Spandau - technical innovation and quality.
In 1980, the assembly lines deliver their 250,000th motorcycle. This bike was especially customized for King Hussein of Jordan's motorcade. In the same year Rolf Witthöft won with a BMW 800, the European off-road championship, and shortly afterwards the R80GS with a still relatively modest 50 hp made its debut. It featured an exciting innovation: the monolever. This model was fitted with the largest engine capacity for its segment, setting the standard for an entirely new market segment, the high-capacity travel enduro.
Another milestone in the history of Berlin-Spandau's BMW plant is the introduction of the new BMW K-series along with water-cooled four-cylinder in-line engine with fuel injection. This model, and the modern assembly lines were made possible by a further 500 million D-Mark investment.
The quest for technological innovation lead in 1988 to the BMW K1, featuring a large number of technical solutions. For the first time BMW markets a motorcycle with four valves per cylinder. Its 100 hp and sophisticated aerodynamics allow also for 240 km/h maximum speed. The most important innovation however is the ABS antilock braking system, the world's first ever on a motorcycle defiing BMW's leadership in the field of safety devices.
More and more BMW motorcycles define themselves globally not only in terms of quality, driving dynamics and comfort, but also contribute significantly to the image of the BMW brand.
The seven-digit milestone in 1991 – BMW delivers 1,000,000th unit.
A year later, the 1,000,000th BMW motorcycle is seen off by Berlin's assembly lines. Since the beginning of production 22 years before, more than 500,000 BMW motorcycles have been manufactured.
The 70th Birthday of the BMW Boxer engine was celebrated in 1993 with the introduction of a radical redesign. This new boxer series was welcomed by a great success, and in 1995, for the first time in the history of BMW Motorrad, more than 50,000 motorcycles are produced and sold. A large proportion of which is accounted for by the BMW GS models.
In 1996, after 27 years, the production of the R80 GS Basic, the last model with the old BMW Boxer engine, is halted ending the of the successful two-valve Boxer.
In 1999, with the F 650 GS in addition to Boxer and K series, the third model series was introduced. BMW Motorrad invested 4.5 million D-marks for the expansion of the new assembly line and in the future line up.
Future-oriented site - innovation and investment. 
The success story of BMW and the BMW motorcycle plant in Berlin continues. Thus in May 2001 the foundation stone for a new production hall, which within two years, can to start production. Overall, BMW invested from 1999 to 2003 €280 million for new facilities, showing a clear commitment to its motorcycle production location in Berlin-Spandau.
In the following years BMW Motorrad focuses also on the working environment adding environmentally friendly paint shops using water-based varnishes and introduction environmentally-friendly disposable and reusable packaging.
In 2006 the Berlin Spandau facility attains the goal of 100,000 BMW motorcycles built within a calendar year.
On 12 May 2009 the 500,000th BMW with the model designation "GS" left the assembly line. 2009 marks also the beginning of the production of the BMW S 1000 RR - the first super-bike from BMW Motorrad.
[INDEX]
ACEM MEETS EC VICE PRESIDENT GÜNTER VERHEUGEN
SCRAPPING SCHEME ADOPTED IN SPAIN
INTERVIEW WITH HENDRIK VON KUENHEIM
COMMUNICATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORT