The Art of BMW: 85 Years of Motorcycling Excellence by Peter Gantriis, Henry Von Wartenberg (Photographer)

From the Publisher

For 85 years BMW has been building some of the world's best motorcycles--an accomplishment that Art of BMW: Eighty-Five Years of Motorcycling Excellence duly celebrates with exquisite studio photographs along with a concise history of the legendary company and its classic motorcycles. From the first model, the R32, through the bikes that catapulted BMW out of the ruins of World War II, to the latest motorcycles with the revamped opposed-twin-cylinder "boxer" engines that brought the company its first fame, to the radical new twin- and four-cylinder motorcycles that fill out today’s BMW lineup—these are the bikes that made BMW great.

• Table of Contents
• Forewords & Introductions

Table of Contents

Forewords & Introductions

Foreword

I don't recall the exact date when I had the first contact with Peter Nettesheim. I remember a guy from the United States who sent a request to our archives to look after a few frame and engine numbers of his classic BMW motorcycles. When I did the research-we have in the BMW company archives handwritten delivery records going back to the first BMW type, the R32 from 1923-I thought, Nice collection he has! Shortly after this request, Peter announced his intent to visit the BMW headquarters in Munich. He wanted to have a look into the archives because he was seeking the history of some of his other motorcycles. I suggested that he should send us the serial numbers in advance of his visit. When he sent this list to me, I was more than impressed. I realized that this guy has one of the largest and best BMW motorcycle collections anywhere in the world.

When we had the first meeting, it started like a lot of business meetings that happened every day in a lot of countries around the world. But then I thought, This is not a meeting like usual. We went to a Munich beer garden-in Bavaria, the difference between a pub, a bar, and a restaurant is blurred-and I realized that this guy from New York is not big headed. He didn't collect the motorcycles for his self-confidence! He built up his collection because he's a real BMW enthusiast.

Since our first contact, I have met Peter Nettesheim many times, both in Germany and in the United States, where he supports a lot of events with his collection. Unforgettable, for example, is the Mastery of Speed exhibition in the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. But he's not aloof and looks forthe prime events where a lot of journalists are. With equal sincerity, he presents parts of his collection at the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America (MOA) rallies, the annual gatherings of BMW enthusiasts in North America. Over three days, he doesn't like to show only the bikes-he makes a great show. For each bike, he tells the personal story, and he starts the engine of every bike people want to hear running. And I admire him, when he has answered the same question for the twentieth time with the same sincerity as when he was asked for the first time.

I think a little story demonstrates Nettesheim's enthusiasm and determination. . . . In the early years, the BMW motorcycles were not produced on an assembly line. The workers built them on a special kind of table. These tables were in use at the BMW motorcycle race department through the 1950s. We have one of these tables in our historical collection, and when Peter Nettesheim heard about it, he came to Munich to take its measurements. He rebuilt two of them for special display of the early parts of his collection. For me, that shows his professionalism even more than the perfect restorations of his motorcycles.

I'm pleased that Peter Nettesheim and his collection are the topic of a book. I wish you a pleasant story . . . and enjoy the history of BMW motorcycles.

Fred Jakobs
Fred Jakobs is responsible for BMW's motorcycle heritage collection and archives at BMW Mobile Tradition.