Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly abbreviated to BMW (German pronunciation: [ˌbeːʔɛm

ˈveː] ⓘ), is a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered
in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft
engines, which it produced from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945 creating engines for
aircraft that were used in the Second World War.
Automobiles are marketed under the brands BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce, and motorcycles are
marketed under the brand BMW Motorrad. In 2017, BMW was the world's fourteenth-largest
producer of motor vehicles, with 2,279,503 vehicles produced[3] and in 2022 the 7th largest by
revenue.[4] In 2023, the company was ranked 46th in the Forbes Global 2000.[5] The company has
significant motor-sport history, especially in touring cars, sports cars, and the Isle of Man TT.
BMW is headquartered in Munich and produces motor vehicles in Germany, Brazil, China, India,
Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Quandt
family [de] is a long-term shareholder of the company, following investments by the
brothers Herbert and Harald Quandt in 1959 that saved BMW from bankruptcy, with the remaining
shares owned by the public.

History[edit]
Main article: History of BMW
The Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik was founded in 1910 by Gustav Otto in the Kingdom of Bavaria,
which was a state of the German Empire. The firm was reorganized on 7 March 1916
into Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG. This company was then renamed to Bayerische Motoren
Werke (BMW) in 1922. However, the name BMW dates back to 1913, when a company to use the
name was founded by Karl Rapp initially as Rapp Motorenwerke. The name and Rapp
Motorenwerke's engine-production assets were transferred to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in 1922,
who adopted the name the same year.[6] BMW's first product was produced for fighter aircraft of
the Luftstreitkräfte. It was a straight-six aircraft engine called the BMW IIIa, designed in the spring of
1917 by engineer Max Friz. Following the end of World War I, BMW remained in business by
producing motorcycle engines, agricultural equipment, household items, and railway brakes. The
company produced its first motorcycle, the BMW R 32, in 1923.
BMW became an automobile manufacturer in 1928 when it purchased Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach,
which, at the time, built the Austin 7 under licence from Dixi.[7] The first car sold as a BMW was a
rebadged BMW Dixi called the BMW 3/15, following BMW's acquisition of the car manufacturer
Automobilwerk Eisenach. Throughout the 1930s, BMW expanded its range into sports cars and
larger luxury cars.
Aircraft engines, motorcycles, and automobiles would be BMW's main products until World War II.
During the war, BMW concentrated on the BMW 801 aircraft engine using as many as 40,000 slave
laborers.[8] These consisted primarily of prisoners from Nazi concentration camps, most
prominently Dachau. Motorcycles remained as a side-line and automobile manufacture ceased
altogether.
BMW's factories were heavily bombed during the war and its remaining West German facilities were
banned from producing motor vehicles or aircraft after the war. Again, the company survived by
making pots, pans, and bicycles. In 1948, BMW restarted motorcycle production. BMW resumed car
production in Bavaria in 1952 with the BMW 501 luxury saloon. The range of cars was expanded in
1955, through the production of the cheaper Isetta microcar under licence. Slow sales of luxury cars
and small profit margins from microcars meant BMW was in serious financial trouble and in 1959 the
company was nearly taken over by rival Daimler-Benz.
A large investment in BMW by Herbert Quandt and Harald Quandt resulted in the company surviving
as a separate entity. Günther Quandt, was a well-known German industrialist, joined the Nazi
party in 1933 and made a fortune arming the German Wehrmacht, manufacturing weapons and
batteries.[9] Many of his enterprises were appropriated from Jewish owners under duress with
minimal compensation. At least three of his enterprises made extensive use of slave laborers, as
many as 50,000 in all.[10] One of his battery factories had its own on-site concentration camp,
complete with gallows. Life expectancy for laborers was six months.[10][11] While Quandt and BMW
were not directly connected during the war, funds amassed in the Nazi era by his father allowed
Herbert Quandt to buy BMW.[8]
The relative success of the small BMW 700 assisted in the company's recovery, allowing them to
develop the New Class sedans.

1972 BMW 5 Series (1st generation)

The 1962 introduction of the BMW New Class compact sedans was the beginning of BMW's
reputation as a leading manufacturer of sport-oriented cars. Throughout the 1960s, BMW expanded
its range by adding coupé and luxury sedan models. The BMW 5 Series mid-size sedan range was
introduced in 1972, followed by the BMW 3 Series compact sedans in 1975, the BMW 6
Series luxury coupés in 1976 and the BMW 7 Series large luxury sedans in 1978.
The BMW M division released its first road car, a mid-engine supercar, in 1978. This was followed by
the BMW M5 in 1984 and the BMW M3 in 1986. Also in 1986, BMW introduced its first V12 engine in
the 750i luxury sedan. The 1989 BMW Z1 marked BMW's return to making a two-seat roadster, the
1995 BMW Z3 was their first mass-production two-seat roadster, and the 1999 BMW X5 was the
company's first entry into the SUV market.
The company purchased the Rover Group in 1994, but the takeover was not successful and caused
BMW large financial losses. In 2000, BMW sold off most of the Rover brands, retaining only the Mini
brand. In 1998, BMW also acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand from Vickers.
The first modern mass-produced turbocharged petrol engine was introduced in 2006 (from 1973 to
1975, BMW built 1,672 units of a turbocharged BMW M10 engine for the BMW 02 Series),[12] with
most engines switching over to turbocharging over the 2010s. The first hybrid BMW was the
2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7, and BMW's first mass-production electric car was the BMW i3 city car,
which was released in 2013, (from 1968 to 1972, BMW built two battery-electric BMW 1602
Elektro saloons for the 1972 Olympic Games).[13] After many years of establishing a reputation for
sporting rear-wheel drive cars, BMW's first front-wheel drive car was the 2014 BMW 2 Series Active
Tourer multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).
21st century[edit]
In January 2021, BMW announced that its sales in 2020 fell by 8.4 percent due to the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions. However, in the fourth quarter of 2020, BMW
witnessed a rise of 3.2% in its customers' demands.[14]
On 18 January 2022 BMW announced a BMW 7 Series (G11) special edition simply called "The
Final V12",[15] the last BMW series production vehicle to be fitted with a V-12 engine. [15]
On 5 October 2023 it was announced that BMW UK CEO Chris Brownridge would succeed Torsten
Müller-Ötvös as the CEO of Rolls-Royce starting 1 December 2023, as a result of Müller-Ötvös
retiring.[16]

Branding[edit]

BMW badge on a 1931 Dixi

The terms Beemer, Bimmer and Bee-em are sometimes used as slang for BMW in the English
language[20][21] and are sometimes used interchangeably for cars and motorcycles.[22][23][24]
Logo[edit]
The circular blue and white BMW logo or roundel evolved from the circular Rapp
Motorenwerke company logo, which featured a black ring bearing the company name surrounding
the company logo,[25] an image of a horse head on a plinth. BMW retained Rapp's black ring inscribed
with the company name, but the interior of the ring is quartered blue and white, reminiscent of
the coat of arms and flag of Bavaria (which in turn are based on the arms of the historic House of
Wittelsbach, which ruled Bavaria for many centuries).[25] The logo does not bear the distinctive
lozenge shape found on the coat of arms, however, as local laws at the time it was introduced
forbade the use of state coats of arms on commercial logos.[26]
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly abbreviated to BMW (German pronunciation: [ˌbeːʔɛm
ˈveː] ⓘ), is a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered
in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft
engines, which it produced from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945 creating engines for
aircraft that were used in the Second World War.
Automobiles are marketed under the brands BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce, and motorcycles are
marketed under the brand BMW Motorrad. In 2017, BMW was the world's fourteenth-largest
producer of motor vehicles, with 2,279,503 vehicles produced[3] and in 2022 the 7th largest by
revenue.[4] In 2023, the company was ranked 46th in the Forbes Global 2000.[5] The company has
significant motor-sport history, especially in touring cars, sports cars, and the Isle of Man TT.
BMW is headquartered in Munich and produces motor vehicles in Germany, Brazil, China, India,
Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Quandt
family [de] is a long-term shareholder of the company, following investments by the
brothers Herbert and Harald Quandt in 1959 that saved BMW from bankruptcy, with the remaining
shares owned by the public.

History[edit]
Main article: History of BMW
The Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik was founded in 1910 by Gustav Otto in the Kingdom of Bavaria,
which was a state of the German Empire. The firm was reorganized on 7 March 1916
into Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG. This company was then renamed to Bayerische Motoren
Werke (BMW) in 1922. However, the name BMW dates back to 1913, when a company to use the
name was founded by Karl Rapp initially as Rapp Motorenwerke. The name and Rapp
Motorenwerke's engine-production assets were transferred to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in 1922,
who adopted the name the same year.[6] BMW's first product was produced for fighter aircraft of
the Luftstreitkräfte. It was a straight-six aircraft engine called the BMW IIIa, designed in the spring of
1917 by engineer Max Friz. Following the end of World War I, BMW remained in business by
producing motorcycle engines, agricultural equipment, household items, and railway brakes. The
company produced its first motorcycle, the BMW R 32, in 1923.
BMW became an automobile manufacturer in 1928 when it purchased Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach,
which, at the time, built the Austin 7 under licence from Dixi.[7] The first car sold as a BMW was a
rebadged BMW Dixi called the BMW 3/15, following BMW's acquisition of the car manufacturer
Automobilwerk Eisenach. Throughout the 1930s, BMW expanded its range into sports cars and
larger luxury cars.
Aircraft engines, motorcycles, and automobiles would be BMW's main products until World War II.
During the war, BMW concentrated on the BMW 801 aircraft engine using as many as 40,000 slave
laborers.[8] These consisted primarily of prisoners from Nazi concentration camps, most
prominently Dachau. Motorcycles remained as a side-line and automobile manufacture ceased
altogether.
BMW's factories were heavily bombed during the war and its remaining West German facilities were
banned from producing motor vehicles or aircraft after the war. Again, the company survived by
making pots, pans, and bicycles. In 1948, BMW restarted motorcycle production. BMW resumed car
production in Bavaria in 1952 with the BMW 501 luxury saloon. The range of cars was expanded in
1955, through the production of the cheaper Isetta microcar under licence. Slow sales of luxury cars
and small profit margins from microcars meant BMW was in serious financial trouble and in 1959 the
company was nearly taken over by rival Daimler-Benz.
A large investment in BMW by Herbert Quandt and Harald Quandt resulted in the company surviving
as a separate entity. Günther Quandt, was a well-known German industrialist, joined the Nazi
party in 1933 and made a fortune arming the German Wehrmacht, manufacturing weapons and
batteries.[9] Many of his enterprises were appropriated from Jewish owners under duress with
minimal compensation. At least three of his enterprises made extensive use of slave laborers, as
many as 50,000 in all.[10] One of his battery factories had its own on-site concentration camp,
complete with gallows. Life expectancy for laborers was six months.[10][11] While Quandt and BMW
were not directly connected during the war, funds amassed in the Nazi era by his father allowed
Herbert Quandt to buy BMW.[8]
The relative success of the small BMW 700 assisted in the company's recovery, allowing them to
develop the New Class sedans.
 1972 BMW 5 Series (1st generation)
The 1962 introduction of the BMW New Class compact sedans was the beginning of BMW's
reputation as a leading manufacturer of sport-oriented cars. Throughout the 1960s, BMW expanded
its range by adding coupé and luxury sedan models. The BMW 5 Series mid-size sedan range was
introduced in 1972, followed by the BMW 3 Series compact sedans in 1975, the BMW 6
Series luxury coupés in 1976 and the BMW 7 Series large luxury sedans in 1978.
The BMW M division released its first road car, a mid-engine supercar, in 1978. This was followed by
the BMW M5 in 1984 and the BMW M3 in 1986. Also in 1986, BMW introduced its first V12 engine in
the 750i luxury sedan. The 1989 BMW Z1 marked BMW's return to making a two-seat roadster, the
1995 BMW Z3 was their first mass-production two-seat roadster, and the 1999 BMW X5 was the
company's first entry into the SUV market.
The company purchased the Rover Group in 1994, but the takeover was not successful and caused
BMW large financial losses. In 2000, BMW sold off most of the Rover brands, retaining only the Mini
brand. In 1998, BMW also acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand from Vickers.
The first modern mass-produced turbocharged petrol engine was introduced in 2006 (from 1973 to
1975, BMW built 1,672 units of a turbocharged BMW M10 engine for the BMW 02 Series),[12] with
most engines switching over to turbocharging over the 2010s. The first hybrid BMW was the
2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7, and BMW's first mass-production electric car was the BMW i3 city car,
which was released in 2013, (from 1968 to 1972, BMW built two battery-electric BMW 1602
Elektro saloons for the 1972 Olympic Games).[13] After many years of establishing a reputation for
sporting rear-wheel drive cars, BMW's first front-wheel drive car was the 2014 BMW 2 Series Active
Tourer multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).
21st century[edit]
In January 2021, BMW announced that its sales in 2020 fell by 8.4 percent due to the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions. However, in the fourth quarter of 2020, BMW
witnessed a rise of 3.2% in its customers' demands.[14]
On 18 January 2022 BMW announced a BMW 7 Series (G11) special edition simply called "The
Final V12",[15] the last BMW series production vehicle to be fitted with a V-12 engine. [15]
On 5 October 2023 it was announced that BMW UK CEO Chris Brownridge would succeed Torsten
Müller-Ötvös as the CEO of Rolls-Royce starting 1 December 2023, as a result of Müller-Ötvös
retiring.[16]

Branding[edit]
BMW badge on a 1931 Dixi
The circular blue and white BMW logo or roundel evolved from the circular Rapp
Motorenwerke company logo, which featured a black ring bearing the company name surrounding
the company logo,[25] an image of a horse head on a plinth. BMW retained Rapp's black ring inscribed
with the company name, but the interior of the ring is quartered blue and white, reminiscent of
the coat of arms and flag of Bavaria (which in turn are based on the arms of the historic House of
Wittelsbach, which ruled Bavaria for many centuries).[25] The logo does not bear the distinctive
lozenge shape found on the coat of arms, however, as local laws at the time it was introduced
forbade the use of state coats of arms on commercial logos.[26]
A persistent myth claims that the logo is based on the image of an airplane propeller spinning in a
blue sky. This myth likely stems from a 1929 BMW advertisement that depicted the logo
superimposed on a rotating propeller. However, the logo predates that advertisement by 12 years. [25]
[27]

The current iteration of the logo was introduced in 2020,[28] removing 3D effects that had been used
in previous renderings of the logo while removing the black outline encircling the rondel. The logo is
used for BMW's branding communications but it is not used on vehicles.[29][30]

A persistent myth claims that the logo is based on the image of an airplane propeller spinning in a
blue sky. This myth likely stems from a 1929 BMW advertisement that depicted the logo
superimposed on a rotating propeller. However, the logo predates that advertisement by 12 years. [25]
[27]

The current iteration of the logo was introduced in 2020,[28] removing 3D effects that had been used
in previous renderings of the logo while removing the black outline encircling the rondel. The logo is
used for BMW's branding communications but it is not used on vehicles.[29][30]