BMW Captures Four Spots in The Automobile Magazine Awards
1 April 1999
BMW Captures Four Spots in The Automobile Magazine 'Readers' Choice All-Stars' AwardsNEW YORK, April 1 -- At a ceremony today at the New York International Auto Show, it was announced that the readers of Automobile Magazine have bestowed four All-Star awards on BMW. With three model lines honored, awards BMW received were: -- 3 Series sedan (E46) - All-Star for "Best Luxury Sedan(Mid-size)" -- 540i six-speed sedan - All-Star for "Best Sports Sedan" -- 3 Series coupe (E36) - All-Star for "Best Coupe" -- 7 Series - All-Star for "Best Luxury Sedan (Large)" "We are honored to have readers of Automobile Magazine select cars from our 3, 5 and 7 Series as their top choices," said Vic Doolan, president of BMW of North America. "Winning awards is always nice, but when auto enthusiasts give you four awards it is a great distinction, and really demonstrates the diversity and quality of BMW's model line." More then 5,000 Automobile Magazine readers selected the winners from 13 categories. Readers were asked to make their best-in-class selections from 201 models listed in a poll that ran in the January 1999 issue of the magazine. The new-for-1999 3 Series sedans have not only won awards from the editors, but have also won the hearts of the public. With a price range starting at $26,970 for the 323i and $33,970 for the 328i sedan, the car shows both BMW's strong value and performance -- traits clearly important to the readers of Automobile Magazine. For the second year in a row, the readers of Automobile Magazine have voted the 540i six-speed "Best Sport Sedan." With a sport-tuned suspension, 282 hp V8 and, of course, the smooth shifting six-speed manual gearbox, the 540i sets the standard for the Sport Sedan class. Since its introduction in model year 1993, the third-generation (E36) BMW 3 Series coupe has been collecting awards. Even in its last year of production, the car still excels, capturing a Readers' Choice All-Stars award. The 3 series coupe embodies sportiness, performance and ownership satisfaction as attested by this award. That the 7 Series sedan wins a Readers' Choice All Stars award, comes as little surprise to anyone who has experienced its sheer driving pleasure and accommodations. The 7 Series offers the ultimate in luxury and sophistication, all while keeping true to BMW's performance heritage. The 75OiL, powered by a 322 hp V12 and the 740i/iL powered by the 282 hp V8 deliver smooth responsive performance expected of BMW's top-end flagships. BMW of North America, Inc. was established in 1975, when the company assumed marketing and distribution responsibilities of BMW vehicles in the U.S. from a private distributor. Since then, the company's North American operations have grown to include marketing, sales and financial services organizations in the United States and Canada; a South Carolina manufacturing operation; a design firm in California; and various other operations throughout the U.S. and Canada. BMW is represented in North America through a network of more than 375 automobile and 190 motorcycle retailers in the United States and Canada. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the marque's North American headquarters, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.