bb - Rainer Buchmann

Car modifier b+b Auto, founded 1973 in Frankfurt by Rainer Buchmann and his brother Dieter, caused a stir in the 1980’s European and international car scene by their technical innovations as well as their spectacular design. Initially focussed on Porsche cars b+b became established through their Porsche Turbo Targa with prismatic colours varnish presented at the Polaroid stand on Fotokina 1976 Cologne. At IAA Frankfurt 1979 they launched b+b CW 311, a contemporary modification of the legendary Mercedes 300 SL. Mercedes-Benz was so enthusiastic about the car that they allowed Buchmann to continue using the Mercedes star as a brand logo. During the 1980s, b+b was one of the most successful modifiers of production cars into individual luxury vehicles for those who could afford it – customers from the Arab world as well as celebrities from the Jet-Set... However Buchmann’s real passion belonged to the area of electronic innovations, and the money he earned with his tuning activities was invested into research in this field. He was the first to think about centralised door locking by means of remote control as well as park distance control and he invented the first car computers. In 1983 his multi-function steering wheel was protected by patent. This comprehensive book, produced in close cooperation with Merck Group, one of the world’s leading chemical companies for whom Buchmann popularized a new and special kind of bright enamel varnish, presents the complete history of Rainer Buchmann’s technical and entrepreneurial achievements.