la route a jamais - Trillium Motorcycle Tours

1980’s Timeline of Events BMW History
Founding of BMW Technik: one of the new division's first
products is the BMW Z1 prototype.
BMW produces more than 37,000 motorcycles in the year of the
centenary of the two-wheeler. Celebration of completion of the
BMW Research and Engineering Centre. The BMW 325 iX is the
first BMW with four-wheel drive. Just-in-time methods start to
alter the way work is allocated between production facilities and
suppliers.
Alternative fuel: the BMW 745i with direct fuel injection is the
first European car with a liquid hydrogen tank and inter nal fuel
preparation.
The motor car celebrates its centenary. BMW holds a major retrospective
exhibition on the car in art. BMW also celebrates its
most successful year in the market in the United States of America
(96,800 registrations) and year one at the new Regensburg
works. In with 13 other European manufacturers, BMW starts
"Prometheus" projects for improved traffic flow during the 1990s.
BMW think tank: the Research & Development Center in Munich
(FIZ) employs some 6,000 people.
BMW presents the first German twelve-cylinder automobile engine
in half a century, develops an electronic diesel injection system,
implements on-board diagnostics in models of all series,
and, with the M3, wins the only World Touring Car Championship
that has ever been held.
Milestone: BMW is the world's first motorcycle manufacturer to
use an electronic-hydraulic antilock braking system (ABS) for
bikes. The photo shows the results when brakes are fully applied
on a slippery surface with ABS (left) and without ABS.
The Z1 roadster is launched. A BMW repair center is opened in
Moscow and an import center in Japan. Regensburg work begins
shift on a four-day cycle, including Saturdays. Assembly
plants in South America, South Africa and countries in Southeast
Asia assemble 250,000 cars. BMW clubs now have 100,000
members.
In the year the Iron Curtain fell, BMW has another
first by producing half a million cars. The company
also has a turnover of DM 20 million, and acquires
Kontron GmbH, a specialist in process engineering.
The year sees the launch of the K1 motorcycle
and the 850I Coupé.
Der Polierlappen 9 July 2009