If you ever have the opportunity to tour a BMW manufacturing plant, especially one in Germany, jump at the chance. BMW’s plant in Munich looks more like a hospital than an automotive assembly line, and the plant in Regensburg, Germany that produces the 1-Series looks to be along the same lines. The plants aren’t just clean, they’re spotless, and the line workers are serious about the tasks they’ve been assigned.
BMW likes to mix things up for workers, too. In its motorcycle assembly plant outside Berlin, teams are assigned to various stations on a rotating basis. One week may be transmission assembly, while the following week may be cylinder head assembly. By changing up the tasks performed, BMW tries to make line work more interesting, but it also ensures that any employee can work at any point in the assembly line.
If you’ve ever toured another assembly line, chances are it wasn’t nearly as clean and organized as the one in the video below. Enjoy.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
