10 of the Best: When BMW Made Us Smile

At what point do we begin to feel sorry for BMW? If the supersize grilles weren’t enough, BMW appears to be making a right Horlicks of its social media strategy.

It’s easy to be a critic. To sit behind a desk making a wisecrack about a tweet suggesting that BMW has been asked to ‘send nudes’. It’s unlikely, because BMW has delivered enough X-rated images this year to last a lifetime. NSFW, etc.

Perhaps BMW’s social media team is on one giant trolling mission. To see how far it can push the mild-mannered and placid people of Twitter until they break. Maybe we’re the fools.

There was a time when BMW made us smile. Whether it was by building a compact saloon with the handling finesse of a lightweight sports car. Or a cabrio dripping with elegance and charm. A time when kidneys were small and grilles were ample.

Smile, Though Your Heart is Breaking

Men with beards would gather around a BMW 2002 and rub their leather shorts with desire. Women who looked like Demi Moore would climb out of the roof of a 2002 with glee. Ladies with Timotei-soft hair and perfect teeth would stare longingly at men with a Dirk Benedict face.

Good times, when a Fräulein with a passing resemblance to Anastasia would dress up in her best red and white skirt to admire the latest 5 Series. Long before they were outta love.

Garage technicians, blokes with caps positioned at a jaunty angle, posh ladies of Beverly Hills and even angry social media people were united in their respect and admiration for BMW. Where did it all go wrong?

PetrolBlog isn’t here to answer that question, not least because it’s time for dinner. Instead, treat this as a palate cleanser. A cut-out-and-keep guide to refer to when BMW sends a tweet that could send you into a tempestuous melting pot of rage and anger.

Smile, it’s BMW as you want to remember it.