BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke in German, or Bavarian Motor Works in English) is a German

multinational company which currently produces automobiles and motorcycles, and also produced
aircraft engines until 1945.
The company was founded in 1916 and has its headquarters in Munich, Bavaria. BMW produces
motor vehicles in Germany, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United
States. In 2015, BMW was the world's twelfth largest producer of motor vehicles, with 2,279,503
vehicles produced.[2] The Quandt family are long-term shareholders of the company, with the
remaining stocks owned by public float.
Automobiles are marketed under the brands BMW (with sub-brands BMW M for performance
models and BMW i for plug-in electric cars), Mini and Rolls-Royce. Motorcycles are marketed under
the brand BMW Motorrad.
The company has significant motorsport history, especially in touring cars, Formula 1, sports
cars and the Isle of Man TT.

Contents
[hide]

 1History
o 1.11916—1923: Aircraft engine production
o 1.21923—1939: Motorcycle and car production
o 1.31939—1945: World War II
o 1.41945—1959: Post-war rebuilding
o 1.51959—1968: Near bankruptcy and New Class
o 1.61968—1978: New Six, 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series
o 1.71978—1989: M division
o 1.81989—1994: 8 Series, hatchbacks
o 1.91994—1999: Rover ownership, Z3
o 1.101999—2006: SUV models, Rolls-Royce
o 1.112006—2013: Shift to turbocharged engines
o 1.122013—present: Electric/hybrid power
 2Company name and logo
 3Motorcycles
 4Automobiles
o 4.1i models
o 4.2M models
o 4.3Naming convention for models
 5Motorsport
 6Involvement in the arts
o 6.1Art Cars
o 6.2Architecture
o 6.3Film
o 6.4Visual arts
 7Production
 8Sales
 9Industry collaboration
 10Sponsorships
 11Environmental record
 12Bicycles
 13Car-sharing services
 14Overseas subsidiaries
o 14.1Brazil
o 14.2Canada
o 14.3China
o 14.4Egypt
o 14.5India
 o 14.6Japan
o 14.7Mexico
o 14.8South Africa
o 14.9United States
 15Marketing
o 15.1Slogan
o 15.2April Fools
o 15.3Audio logo
 16See also
 17References
 18Further reading

History[edit]
Main articles: History of BMW and History of BMW motorcycles

1916—1923: Aircraft engine production[edit]

BMW IIIa aircraft engine

BMW's origins can be traced back to three separate German companies: Rapp Motorenwerke,
Bayerische Flugzeugwerke and Automobilwerk Eisenach. The history of the name itself begins
with Rapp Motorenwerke, an aircraft engine manufacturer. In April 1917, following the departure of
the founder Karl Friedrich Rapp, the company was renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke
(BMW).[3](p11). BMW's first product was the BMW IIIa aircraft engine. The IIIa engine was known for
good fuel economy and high-altitude performance.[4] The resulting orders for IIIa engines from the
German military caused rapid expansion for BMW.
After the end of World War I in 1918, BMW was forced to cease aircraft-engine production by the
terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty.[5] To maintain in business, BMW produced farm equipment,
household items and railway brakes. In 1922, former major shareholder Camillo
Castiglioni purchased the rights to the name BMW, which led to the company descended from Rapp
Motorenwerke being renamed Süddeutsche Bremse AG (known today as Knorr-Bremse). Castiglioni
was also an investor in another aircraft company, called "Bayerische Flugzeugwerke", which he
renamed BMW.[6]
Automobilwerk Eisenach The disused factory of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was re-opened to
produce engines for busses, trucks, farm equipment and pumps, under the brand name BMW.
BMW's corporate history considers the founding date of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (7 March 1916)
to be the birth of the company.

1923—1939: Motorcycle and car production[edit]

As the restrictions of the Armistice Treaty began to be lifted, BMW began production of motorcycles
in 1923,[7] with the R32 model.
BMW's production of automobiles began in 1928, when the company purchased the Automobilwerk
Eisenach car company. Automobilwerk Eisenach's current model was the Dixi 3/15, a licensed copy
of the Austin 7 which had begun production in 1927. Following the takeover, the Dixi 3/15 became
the BMW 3/15, BMW's first production car.[8][9][10]
In 1932, the BMW 3/20 became the first BMW automobile designed entirely by BMW. It was
powered by a four-cylinder engine, which BMW designed based on the Austin 7 engine.
BMW's first automotive straight-six engine was released in 1933, in the BMW 303. Throughout the
1930s, BMW expanded its model range to include sedans, coupes, convertibles and sports cars.

1939—1945: World War II[edit]

BMW 801 engine

With German rearmament in the 1930s, the company again began producing aircraft engines for
the Luftwaffe. The factory in Munich made ample use of forced labour: foreign civilians, prisoners of
war and inmates of the Dachau concentration camp.[11] Among its successful World War II engine
designs were the BMW 132 and BMW 801 air-cooled radial engines, and the pioneering BMW
003 axial-flow turbojet, which powered the tiny, 1944–1945–era jet-powered "emergency fighter",
the Heinkel He 162 Spatz. The BMW 003 jet engine was first tested as a prime power plant in the
first prototype of the Messerschmitt Me 262, the Me 262 V1, but in 1942 tests the BMW prototype
engines failed on takeoff with only the standby Junkers Jumo 210 nose-mounted piston engine
powering it to a safe landing.[12][13]
The few Me 262 A-1b test examples built used the more developed version of the 003 jet, recording
an official top speed of 800 km/h (497 mph). The first-ever four-engine jet aircraft ever flown were
the sixth and eighth prototypes of the Arado Ar 234 jet reconnaissance-bomber, which used BMW
003 jets for power. Through 1944 the 003's reliability improved, making it a suitable power plant for
air frame designs competing for the Jägernotprogramm's light fighter production contract. which was
won by the Heinkel He 162 Spatz design. The BMW 003 aviation turbojet was also under
consideration as the basic starting point for a pioneering turboshaft powerplant for German armored
fighting vehicles in 1944–45, as the GT 101.[14] Towards the end of the Third Reich, BMW developed
some military aircraft projects for the Luftwaffe, the BMW Strahlbomber, the BMW Schnellbomber
and the BMW Strahljäger, but none of them were built.[15][16]

1945—1959: Post-war rebuilding[edit]

During World War II, many BMW production facilities had been heavily bombed. BMW's facilities
in East Germany were seized by the Soviet Government and the remaining facilities were banned by
the Allies from producing motorcycles or automobiles. During this ban, BMW used basic secondhand
and salvaged equipment to make pots and pans, later expanding to other kitchen supplies and
bicycles.
In 1947, BMW was granted permission to resume motorcycle production and its first post-war
motorcycle - the R24 - was released in 1948. BMW was still forbidden from producing automobiles,
however the Bristol Aeroplane Company (BAC) was producing cars in England based on BMW's
pre-war models, using plans that BAC had taken from BMW's German offices.
Production of automobiles resumed in 1952, with the BMW 501 large sedan. Throughout the 1950s,
BMW expanded their model range with sedans, coupes, convertibles and sports cars. In 1954,
the BMW 502 was BMW's first to use a V8 engine. To provide an affordable model, BMW began
production of the Isetta micro-car (under licence from Iso) in 1955. Two years later, the four-
seat BMW 600 was based on a lengthened version of the Isetta design. In 1959, the BMW 600 was
replaced by the larger BMW 700 coupe/sedan.

1959—1968: Near bankruptcy and New Class[edit]

New Class sedan

By 1959, BMW was in debt and losing money.[17] The Isetta was selling well but with small profit
margins.[18] Their 501-based luxury sedans were not selling well enough to be profitable and were
becoming increasingly outdated.[19]Their 503 coupé and 507 roadster were too expensive to be
profitable.[19] Their 600, a four-seater based on the Isetta, was selling poorly.[20] The motorcycle
market imploded in the mid-1950s with increased affluence turning Germans away from motorcycles
and toward cars.[21] BMW had sold their Allach plant to MAN in 1954.[22] American Motors and
the Rootes Group had both tried to acquire BMW.[23]
At BMW's annual general meeting on 9 December 1959, Dr. Hans Feith, chairman of
BMW's supervisory board, proposed a merger with Daimler-Benz. The dealers and small
shareholders opposed this suggestion and rallied around a counter-proposal by Dr. Friedrich
Mathern, which gained enough support to stop the merger.[18][23] At that time, the Quandt Group, led
by half-brothers Herbert and Harald Quandt, had recently increased their holdings in BMW and had
become their largest shareholder.[23] In 1960, the development program began for a new range of
models, called the "Neue Klasse" (New Class) project. The resulting New Class four-door sedans,
introduced in 1962, are credited for saving the company financially and establishing BMW's identity
as a producer of leading sports sedans.
In 1965, the New Class range was expanded with the 2000 C and 2000 CS luxury coupes. The
range was further expanded in 1966 with the iconic BMW 02 Series compact coupes.
BMW acquired the Hans Glas company based in Dingolfing, Germany, in 1966. Glas vehicles were
briefly badged as BMW until the company was fully absorbed. It was reputed that the acquisition was
mainly to gain access to Glas' development of the timing belt with an overhead camshaft in
automotive applications,[24] although some saw Glas' Dingolfing plant as another incentive. However,
this factory was outmoded and BMW's biggest immediate gain was, according to themselves, a
stock of highly qualified engineers and other personnel.[25] The Glas factories continued to build a
limited number of their existing models, while adding the manufacture of BMW front and rear axles
until they could be closer incorporated into BMW.[26]

1968—1978: New Six, 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series[edit]

E9 3.0 CSL

In 1968, BMW began production of its first straight-six engine since World War II. This engine
coincided with the launch of the New Six large sedans (the predecessor to the 7 Series) and New
Six CS large coupes (the predecessor to the 6 Series).
The first 5 Series range of mid-size sedans were introduced in 1972, to replace the New Class
sedans. The 5 Series platform was also used for the 6 Series coupes, which were introduced in
1976. In 1975, the first model of the iconic 3 Series range of compact sedans/coupes was
introduced. The 7 Series large sedans were introduced in 1978.