BMW "Birth Certificate"

Ives

Ives

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I sent an email to [email protected] requesting a certificate of authenticity for my 1972 and 1974 Coupes. I had made requests over the years but had always been put off till later for one reason or another. This time I was sent an Order Form Birth Certificate to fill out in German or English, a link to the process and a price of 150 Euros each for the documents. I started buying new BMWs in 1968 and have consistently bought new ones until the early 2000s. It looks like their policies for loyal customers have gone the way of their cars, deplorable. I'm planning on selling my 1972 Sahara Restomod and thought this certificate would be useful in my listing with BaT but upon further thought it just made me mad and another reason to not buy a new BMW. If anyone has bitten the bullet on buying in to the Birth Certificate it would be interesting to see an example and whether or not there are copious quantities of Gold Guilding.
Regards, Jon
 
hi Jon,

i heard that they had started charging for the little bit of information that you could get ... had no idea it was 150 euro. yikes.
 
This got posted in wrong category. Trying to get Dan to move to Discussion.
Jon
 
We are no longer their target market, and worse yet, they no longer value our loyalty to the brand.

Instead, we are merely an opportunity to increase earnings for whomever happens to be getting their bonus based on this quarter's earnings. Moreover, their accountants have loaded up huge costs on anything associated with BMW's legacy, meaning they have to charge very high prices lest they fail to make a profit interacting with us. Years ago I ran into one of BMW USA's VPs at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix and told him I could make his legacy parts business wildly profitable if he would merely give me access to their cost accounting. Alas, he didn't take me up on the offer.
 
Dave,
I'm not at this time. Will probably re-up when we get closer to Legends in August where I want to bring my 74 CS Sixto.
Regards, Jon
RSPorche,
Thanks, Jon
 
Jon,

I recently sent away for the Birth Cert. for my '74 coupe. Apparently they are still "working on it." Last correspondence was Jan. 21st. I was kind of taken aback at the cost as well and I don't remember it taking this long before. It's kind of a nice novelty I guess, but I did have second thoughts when I found out the price. I had one for my '73 Bavaria and probably was an added bonus on the sale through BaT if you go that route. All it will really do is verify original color and build date.

On a side note, I grew up 20-min from Healdsburg in rural Santa Rosa County. I've known Rick Rowe from North Bay Bavarian for a long time. Just curious if he works on your coupes? He actually lives in Healdsburg as well. I sure miss Hwy 1 drives and Skaggs Springs Rd.
 
Wow, things have gone up in price.
I knew a guy that bought a fake social security card in 1995 in LA for 30 dollars...
If you are disgusted I will be happy to bring you to the Lancia side, where the factory is not mean, it is just some records held by a few key people...which do not charge.
 
Arde said:
Wow, things have gone up in price.
I knew a guy that bought a fake social security card in 1995 in LA for 30 dollars...
If you are disgusted I will be happy to bring you to the Lancia side, where the factory is not mean, it is just some records held by a few key people...which do not charge.
Click to expand...

Yes, I recall back in 2008 there was some Andreas that did this for free or at least much less, not sure
 
Ives said:
If anyone has bitten the bullet on buying in to the Birth Certificate it would be interesting to see an example and whether or not there are copious quantities of Gold Guilding.
Regards, Jon
Click to expand...

The certificate is currently issued in digital form.
It costs 150 Euro.
Below is a photo of the last certificate downloaded from BMW.
The process itself is a mess.
It usually takes from two to even four weeks.
They are in no rush.
There is no cordiality in communicating with them, just pay and wait.
According to In my opinion, BMW as a company is the least friendly when it comes to helping with classic cars.
At Porsche and Mercedes, people are usually very helpful.
At BMW, sometimes I feel like they treat you like you're bothering them unnecessarily...
For me it's strange, because they should support us in restoring the glory of their cars from the past.
But apparently this is the company's current policy.
Just a little more time and Chinese companies will eat them for breakfast and buy them out a moment later.
This is how the story of this brand may end.
In general, the European automotive industry is slowly declining...
 

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IMHO - not enough information on the 'birth certificate' to warrant 150 euro. with just a digital photo, it would be easy for some unscrupulous person to photoshop the VIN / color and 'fake' it.
 
Lucas said:
The certificate is currently issued in digital form.
It costs 150 Euro.
Below is a photo of the last certificate downloaded from BMW.
The process itself is a mess.
It usually takes from two to even four weeks.
They are in no rush.
There is no cordiality in communicating with them, just pay and wait.
According to In my opinion, BMW as a company is the least friendly when it comes to helping with classic cars.
At Porsche and Mercedes, people are usually very helpful.
At BMW, sometimes I feel like they treat you like you're bothering them unnecessarily...
For me it's strange, because they should support us in restoring the glory of their cars from the past.
But apparently this is the company's current policy.
Just a little more time and Chinese companies will eat them for breakfast and buy them out a moment later.
This is how the story of this brand may end.
In general, the European automotive industry is slowly declining...
Click to expand...


you are right
when compared to Mercedes and Porsche it is clear that bmw is way back,
lack of availability of spares is simply unacceptable
with regard to this certificate is not only the price or the delay, back in the days you were given a solid heavy paper
 
Andrea S. Harz no longer works with the BMW Archive. The once free build date, delivery to the importer's custody & original color is NLA as of January 1 2025 is now a fee service for a a digital certificate & or mailed paper version for 150€ / $155.25. This has likely caused a sharp drop in completed sales.

The U.S. is no longer the "target market' yet BMW still offers manual transmissions on a few new models.
 
Lucas said:
The certificate is currently issued in digital form.
It costs 150 Euro.
Below is a photo of the last certificate downloaded from BMW.
The process itself is a mess.
It usually takes from two to even four weeks.
They are in no rush.
There is no cordiality in communicating with them, just pay and wait.
According to In my opinion, BMW as a company is the least friendly when it comes to helping with classic cars.
At Porsche and Mercedes, people are usually very helpful.
At BMW, sometimes I feel like they treat you like you're bothering them unnecessarily...
For me it's strange, because they should support us in restoring the glory of their cars from the past.
But apparently this is the company's current policy.
Just a little more time and Chinese companies will eat them for breakfast and buy them out a moment later.
This is how the story of this brand may end.
In general, the European automotive industry is slowly declining...
Click to expand...
Lucas, thank you so much for that information. When I received mine for the Bavaria, it was on some really nice paper stock, a hologram and much cheaper. I have not paid yet and now I think I am going to cancel since it is in digital form and very easily manipulated by even a 3rd grader probably at this point.

Cheers...I really just wanted to verify MO/YR build since some things changed late '74 on the coupe but I think there is a link on here correct to find that out with the VIN? I will look for that. I'm pretty sure it is an earlier build for '74 but not 100% correct.
 
BMW Group
Andreas Harz
Archiv, Sammlung, Classic Brand Management
AK-50
Historischer Informationsdienst
Moosacher Str. 66
80809 München

Postanschrift:
80788 München

Tel: +49-89-382-68281
Fax: +49-89-382-24765
Mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.bmwgroup.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
Vorstand: Harald Krüger (Vorsitzender),
Milagros Caiña Carreiro-Andree, Markus Duesmann, Klaus Fröhlich, Nicolas Peter, Ian Robertson, Peter Schwarzenbauer, Oliver Zipse.
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Norbert Reithofer Sitz und Registergericht: München HRB 42243
 
deQuincey said:
BMW Group
Andreas Harz
Archiv, Sammlung, Classic Brand Management
AK-50
Historischer Informationsdienst
Moosacher Str. 66
80809 München

Postanschrift:
80788 München

Tel: +49-89-382-68281
Fax: +49-89-382-24765
Mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.bmwgroup.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
Vorstand: Harald Krüger (Vorsitzender),
Milagros Caiña Carreiro-Andree, Markus Duesmann, Klaus Fröhlich, Nicolas Peter, Ian Robertson, Peter Schwarzenbauer, Oliver Zipse.
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Norbert Reithofer Sitz und Registergericht: München HRB 42243
Click to expand...
Thanks deQuincey - I just found it on REALOEM and was going to edit my post. Looks like 02/74...figured it was earlier build.
 
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