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BMW, abbreviation of Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works), is a German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. In the original German the acronym is pronounced "beh-em-veh". In North America, BMW cars have been nicknamed "bimmers" while BMW motorcycles are called "beemers," although the terms are often used interchangeably (and incorrectly, according to some BMW fans). It is the parent company of the Mini and Rolls-Royce car brands.
BMW was founded by Karl Friedrich Rapp in October 1913, originally as an aircraft engine manufacturer. The Milbertshofen district of Munich location was chosen because it was close to the Gustav Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik site, a German aircraft manufacturer.
In 1916 the company secured a contract to build V12 engines for Austria-Hungary. Needing extra financing, Rapp gained the support of Camillo Castiglioni and Max Friz, the company was reconstituted as the Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. Over-expansion caused difficulties; Rapp left and the company was taken over by the Austrian industrialist Franz Josef Popp in 1917, and named BMW AG in 1918.
After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles (1919) prohibited the production of aircraft in Germany. Otto closed his factory and BMW switched to manufacturing railway brakes.
In 1927 the tiny Dixi, an Austin Seven produced under license, began production in Eisenach. BMW bought the company the following year, and this became the company's first car, the BMW 3/15. By 1933 BMW were producing cars that could be called truly theirs, offering steadily more advanced inline 6-cylinder sports and saloon cars. The pre-war cars culminated in the beautiful 327 saloon and 328 roadster, fast 2-litre cars, both very advanced for their time.
BMW was a major supplier of engines to the Luftwaffe and of engines and vechicles, especially motorcyles, to the Wehrmacht. The aero-engines included the 801, one of the most powerful available. Over 30,000 were manufactured up to 1945. BMW also researched jet engines, producing the BMW 003, and rocket based weapons.
The BMW works were heavily bombed towards the end of the war. Of its sites, those in eastern Germany (Eisenach, Dürrerhof, Basdorf and Zühlsdorf) were seized by the Soviets. The factory in Munich was largely destroyed.
After the war the Munich factory took some time to restart production in any volume. BMW was banned from manufacturing for three years by the Allies and did not produce a car model until 1952.
In the east, the company's factory at Eisenach was taken over by the state-owned Awtowelo group. That company offered "BMWs" for sale until 1951, when the Bavarian company prevented use of the trademarks: the name, the logo and the "double-kidney" radiator grille.
The cars were then branded EMW (Eisenacher Motoren Werke), production continuing until 1955.
In the west, the BAC, Bristol Aeroplane Company, inspected the factory, and returned to Britain with plans for the 326, 327 and 328 models. These plans, which became official war reparations, along with BMW engineer Fritz Fiedler allowed the newly formed Bristol Cars to produce a new, high-quality sports saloon, the 400 by 1947, a car so similar to the BMW 327 that it even kept the famous BMW grille.
In 1952, BMW produced its first passenger car since the war but its attempts to get into the premium sector were not commercially successful. By the late 1950s, it was making bubble cars such as the BMW Isetta. In 1959, BMW planned to merge with Daimler-Benz but board chairman Kurt Golda convinced majority shareholder Herbert Quandt to think otherwise.
That same year, BMW launched the 700, a small car with an air-cooled, rear-mounted 697 cm³ boxer engine from the R67 motorcycle. Its bodywork was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and the 2+2 model had a sporty look. There was also a more powerful RS model for racing. Competition successes in the 700 began to secure BMW's reputation for sports sedans.
At the Frankfurt show in 1961, BMW launched the BMW 1500, a powerful compact sedan, with front disc brakes and four-wheel independent suspension. This modern specification further cemented BMW's reputation for sporting cars. It was the first BMW to officially feature the "Hofmeister kink", the rear window line that has been the hallmark of all BMWs since then.
The 1500 was developed into 1600 and 1800 models. In 1966, the two-door version of the 1600 was launched, along with a convertible in 1967. These models were called the '02' series and began the bloodline that later developed into the BMW 3-series.
In 1968, BMW launched its large sedans, the 2500 and 2800, and coupés, the 2.5 CS and 2800 CS.
By the 1970s, BMW was commercially successful and in December 1971, moved in to its present HQ in Munich, architecturally modelled after four cylinders.
In 1972, the BMW 5-series was launched, with a body styled by Marcello Gandini. The three-tier sports sedan range was formed and BMW essentially followed this formula, along with the 6-series coupés that replaced the CS, into the 1990s.
Between 1994 and 2000, BMW owned the Rover Group in an attempt to get into mass market production, buying it from British Aerospace. This brought the Rover passenger car range, the Mini, Land Rover and Range Rover, plus historical names such as Triumph, into BMW ownership.
The venture was not successful. For years, Rover tried to rival BMW, if not in product, then in market positioning and "snob appeal". BMW found it difficult to reposition the English automaker alongside its own products and the Rover division was faced with endless changes in its marketing strategy. In the six years under BMW, Rover was positioned as a premium automaker, a mass-market automaker, a division of BMW and an independent unit.
BMW was more successful with the Mini, Land Rover and Range Rover brands, which did not have parallels in its own range at the time.
In 2000, BMW disposed of Rover after years of losses, with Rover cars going to the Phoenix consortium for a nominal £1 and Land Rover and Range Rover going to the Ford Motor Company. In the press, Rover and the English work ethic were mainly blamed for the débâcle. The German press ridiculed the English firm as 'the English Patient', named for a recent film, though BMW itself, protected by its product range's image, was largely spared the blame—even though there were serious marketing issues that brought Rover down. Even the British press was not particularly sympathetic toward Rover.
BMW held on to the Mini and Triumph marques.
BMW started producing automobiles at its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant in 1994. Today, the plant manufactures the BMW X5 and BMW Z4 Roadster.
The Spartanburg plant is open six days a week, producing automobiles approximately 110 hours a week. It employs about 4,700 people amd manufactures over 500 vehicles daily.
After a period of local assembly, BMW's Rosslyn, South Africa plant now manufactures cars, with over 70 per cent of its output destined for export. In the mid-1990s, BMW invested R1 billion to make Rosslyn a world-class facility. Many right-hand-drive 3-series are built at Rosslyn.
In the early 1990s, BMW and Rolls-Royce Motors began a joint venture that would see the new Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph and Bentley Arnage adopt BMW engines.
In 1998, both BMW and Volkswagen tried to purchase Rolls-Royce Motors. Volkswagen bought the company for £430 million, but BMW outflanked its German rival by acquiring the Rolls-Royce trademark for cars for a fraction of the price (£40 million).
Volkswagen was permitted to build Rolls-Royces at its Crewe factory until 2003 but shifted most of its marketing emphasis to Bentley.
In the meantime, BMW was faced with the need to build a new factory and develop a new model. The new factory at Goodwood produced the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, unveiled on January 2, 2003, and officially launched at the Detroit Auto Show on January 5, 2003.
The current BMW model line-up is split into what they call "Series", traditionally identified by a single digit - e.g. the 3 Series.
In 2004 BMW announced plans to make odd-numbered models sedans and estates (BMW calls its estates Touring models), while even-numbered models will be two-door coupes and cabriolets. This convention was started with the replacement of the Z3 roadster - the Z4. In future 2-door derivatives of the 3 Series will be called the 4 Series.
The M letter was used even prior to that to designate special "Motorsport" models beginning with the M1 supercar. Later the M letter was used as a prefix to top-of-the-range models which had received special treatment by the BMW Motorsport division. The first such car was the M535i of 1979. As these models started gaining popularity the Motorsport division was split into a separate company. BMW M GmbH now makes sporty models based on the production cars with very extensive chassis and engine upgrades. The M3 and M5 are based respectively on the 3 and 5 Series and are recognized by enthusiasts all over the world as truly excellent sports cars while retaining the practicality of the models they extend.
With the advent of the SUV, BMW also added the X5 - and in 2004 the X3 - to their model range to capitalize on this growing market. BMW calls its SUV models Sports Activity Vehicles. A possible future V Series will offer MPV practicality for large families, similar to the Renault Scenic.
BMW made many cars over the years which had a massive impact on the world of motoring.
Internally, BMW associates an "e-code" for each generation of a series ("E" stands for Entwicklung, German for development). These "chassis codes" only change to signify a major redesign of a series, or the introduction of a new series.
BMW has been engaged in Motorsport activities since the dawn of the first BMW motorcycle. BMW has competed and won many of the most coveted and prestigious races and motoring events.
BMW motorcycles were first produced in 1923 and had an unusual "boxer twin" engine, with two air-cooled cylinders protruding from opposite sides of the machine.
The R series currently designates machines with a boxer-twin engine, the K series has an inline 3 or 4-cylinder engine, and the F series has a single cylinder Rotax engine.
BMW motorcycles tend to be relatively large and heavy, and relaxed and comfortable to ride. All BMW motorcycles except for the F series use shaft drive. (A characteristic of BMW motorcycles since 1923).
BMW was one of the earliest manufacturers to offer ABS on production motorcycles.
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