Как пишется значок бмв

Так все же пропеллер это или нет? На протяжении десятилетий логотип BMW остается темой самых жарких обсуждений. И все из-за одного рекламного трюка. Узнайте, что на самом деле означает эмблема BMW, как она возникла и как изменения бренда отражаются в новом логотипе BMW.

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История и значение логотипа BMW.

„ Многие люди считают, что логотип BMW представляет собой стилизованный пропеллер, но на самом деле это не совсем так. “

Фред Якобс (Fred Jakobs), директор архива BMW Group Classic

ИТАК, ЧТО ОЗНАЧАЕТ ЛОГОТИП BMW? ЧТО ОН ОТРАЖАЕТ? НИЖЕ МЫ ОТВЕТИМ НА ЭТИ ВОПРОСЫ.

Сначала необходимости в логотипе не было.

Название BMW — Bayerische Motoren Werke, что означает «Баварские Моторные Заводы» — впервые появилось в 1917 году. Компания BMW возникла в результате переименования фирмы Rapp Motorenwerke, выпускавшей авиационные двигатели и располагавшейся в Мюнхене, столице Баварии на юге Германии. Хотя компания и получила другое название, ее техническое оборудование, имущество и штат сотрудников не претерпели никаких изменений.

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Когда название BMW впервые внесли в реестр коммерческих фирм в июле 1917 года, у компании не было никакого логотипа. Даже первая реклама, опубликованная в том же месяце, была сделана без него. В этой рекламе предприятие анонсировало свою программу на будущее: наряду с авиационными моторами  планировалось выпускать двигатели для автомобилей, сельскохозяйственных машин и небольших судов.

«В те времена логотип не имел для широкой общественности такого значения, как сейчас, и, кроме того, у BMW просто не было конечных пользователей, к которым компания могла бы обращаться», — разъясняет Фред Якобс. Ведь главным направлением деятельности был выпуск и обслуживание авиационных двигателей для военно-воздушных сил Германии.

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Логотип BMW с цветами Баварии в обратном порядке.

Тем не менее 5 октября 1917 года молодая компания получила свой логотип. Первая эмблема BMW, которая была зарегистрирована в Имперском реестре товарных знаков Германии, сохранила круглую форму старого логотипа компании Rapp с добавлением  двух золотых линий и букв «BMW».В логотипе было необходимо отразить баварское происхождение. Поэтому четыре сектора внутреннего круга логотипа выполнены в цветах Баварии — белом и синем. Однако они размещены в обратном порядке из-за юридических ограничений того времени. Закон о товарных знаках запрещал использовать на коммерческих логотипах элементы государственных гербов и других символов власти.

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Что означает логотип BMW?

Даже сегодня многие считают, что логотип BMW — это вращающийся пропеллер. Но почему? Эта легенда о пропеллере BMW появилась спустя несколько лет после создания первого логотипа компании. На рекламе BMW 1929 года были изображены самолеты с логотипами BMW, вписанными во вращающиеся пропеллеры. Задача этой рекламы в самом начале мирового экономического кризиса заключалась в продвижении нового авиационного двигателя, выпускавшегося BMW по лицензии Pratt & Whitney. Пропеллер  прекрасно вписывался в рекламный имидж молодой компании, так как это подчеркивало ее корни и опыт в создании авиамоторов.

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Затем в 1942 году BMW уже сама связала пропеллер со своей эмблемой. В журнале BMW под названием Flugmotoren-Nachrichten («Новости авиадвигателей») появилась статья, которая только поддержала мнение о связи логотипа и вращающегося пропеллера. Статья была проиллюстрирована фотографией, на которой логотип BMW был вписан во вращающийся пропеллер.

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Итак, в основу истории логотипа BMW положена легенда, которая продолжает жить и по сей день. «В течение долгого времени BMW почти не прилагала усилий, чтобы опровергнуть легенду об эмблеме BMW и пропеллере», — добавляет Фред Якобс. Поэтому, утверждает эксперт, нельзя назвать полностью неправыми тех, кто придерживается мнения, будто логотип BMW представляет собой стилизованный пропеллер. Хотя однозначно утверждать, что логотип BMW — это пропеллер, тоже неверно. Неоднократные повторы позволили крепко укорениться этому представлению. «Данная интерпретация была распространена в течение 90 лет, и со временем она получила определенное право на существование», — подчеркивает Якобс.

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Новый логотип бренда BMW для коммуникации.

Больше, чем просто обновление: новый стиль бренда BMW символизирует собой мобильность будущего.

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В какой степени изменения бренда отражаются в новом логотипе?

„ BMW становится брендом отношений. Новый коммуникационный логотип отражает открытость и ясность», — комментирует Йенс Тимер, старший вице-президент по работе с клиентами и бренду BMW. — Этим новым прозрачным вариантом мы еще активнее, чем когда-либо, приглашаем наших клиентов стать частью мира BMW. Кроме того, новый дизайн соответствует вызовам и возможностям цифровой эпохи. Визуальная сдержанность и графическое исполнение позволяют нам гибко адаптироваться к широкому разнообразию точек контакта в ходе будущей коммуникации — как в интернете, так и в реальном мире. Дополнительный коммуникационный логотип символизирует значимость и актуальность бренда для мобильности и удовольствия от вождения в будущем “

Йенс Тимер (Jens Thiemer), старший вице-президент по работе с клиентами и бренду BMW

BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke — «Баварские моторные заводы») — немецкая компания, занимающаяся изготовлением высокотехнологичных автомобилей и мотоциклов. Данный производитель входит в число фирм с самыми высокими продажами товаров.

Девизом бренда является фраза «С удовольствием за рулём».

Происхождение марки БМВ

В 1916 году фирму основал Карл Фридрих Рапп. Он предложил руководителю схожего небольшого предприятия объединиться – решение принималось с целью увеличить экономическую выгоду. В середине 1917 года производство было зарегистрировано. Теперь оно выпускало авиационные двигатели и находилось вблизи крупного завода по созданию самолётов.

Спустя некоторое время сборка авиации на территории государства становится запрещена, поэтому BMW вынуждены начать реализацию сельскохозяйственной техники и тормозов для поездов. В 1922 году компания разрабатывает свой первый мотоцикл. В 1928 году фирма производит небольшие автомобили Dixi.

Во время Второй мировой войны бренд переключается на производство авиационных моторов. Но после окончания военных действий в стране компания оказывается в плачевном положении: разрушается часть предприятий, а остальные попадают в зону оккупации СССР. Однако фирма не прекращает свое существование и выпускает автомобили из оставшихся ресурсов.

К 1959 году компания вновь оказывается на грани разорения. Спрос на продукцию снижается из-за бедности населения. Представители бренда решают продать компанию на аукционе, но выпуск новых партий авто помогает фирме встать на ноги. На территории России продукция начинает реализовываться только в 1993 году. Это помогает бренду БМВ усилить свое влияние на рынке и повысить продажи.

Первый логотип БМВ

Первый логотип БМВ появился в 1917 году: две пересекающиеся перпендикулярные линии символизируют пропеллер (отсылка к изначальному роду деятельности бренда).

Центральный круглый сектор БМВ лого разделён двумя равными перпендикулярными линиями на четыре одинаковых сегмента. А эти четверти в свою очередь в шахматном порядке окрашены в насыщенный синий и белый оттенки. Элемент обведён широким чёрным кругом, а вверху расположена жёлтая надпись BMW.

Но что же означает логотип БМВ? Касательно цветового решения, есть несколько вариантов трактовки:

1. белые и голубые сектора БМВ лого обозначают небо;
2. оттенки транслируют флаг Баварии. Этой точки зрения придерживаются сами «Баварские моторные заводы».

История изменения логотипа БМВ

За свою почти столетнюю историю логотип BMW не претерпел кардинальных изменений. Однако небольшие ребрендинги все же были.

1923

1923 год: линии на логотипе, которыми обведены окружности, приобретают светло-коричневый цвет. Буквы надписи печатаются полужирным шрифтом. Центральная часть эмблемы остается неизменной.

1936

1936 год: логотип БМВ изменяет цветовое решение – буквы и окантовки становятся белыми. Части сектора круга становятся голубыми на смену синим. Шрифт надписи сохраняется.

1954

1954 год: символы логотипа избавляются от засечек и становятся рубленными. Также иной вид приобретает обводка эмблемы: она становится значительно ярче. Данный лого внешне максимально схож с тем, который используется компанией сейчас.

1970

1970 год: дизайн эмблемы теперь кардинально отличается от своих предшественников. Он разрабатывается в первую очередь для размещения на мототехнике. В расцветку логотипа добавляется розовый цвет. Кроме этого, на знаке появляются элементы не только голубого, но и темно-синего оттенков. Значительно изменяется и форма иконки: центральная часть помещается в середину лого, а вокруг располагаются три полуокружности разных цветов.

2000

2000 год: эмблема приобретает фактуру, используемую брендом в настоящий момент. В отличие от предыдущих вариантов дизайна, в лого добавляется объем. В остальном фирменный знак практически ничем не отличается от первых логотипов БМВ.

Заключение

Логотип BMW – один из самых узнаваемых в мире. Благодаря своей лаконичности и незамысловатости он не только легко запоминается, но и рассказывает историю компании.

Часто задаваемые вопросы

Тема заезженная, нового по ней не добавить. Поэтому ограничусь вольным сказанием о Логотипе БМВ. Он же Баварские Моторные Заводы и он же Bayerische Motoren Werke. Всю информацию черпал с оф сайта bmw и форумов.

Давайте сразу лоб — нет ничего общего в происхождении с пропеллером!
Я уже вижу спазмы у некоторых заядлых Бумероводов, но погодите гневаться на меня! Гневайтесь на Якобса
Именно он заявил: Считают, что знак BMW это стилизованный пропеллер, но это не совсем так.
Якобс — главный по истории в БМВ. А если этот дядя занимает такую должность, то спорить с ним по вопросам истории марки в целом — бессмысленно и глупо.

Ура, самый большой миф о дизайне эмблемы мы оставили позади. Но я понимаю, что начнутся упоминания винтов и авиастроительного прошлого.
Да, изначально была фирма Rapp Motorenwerke. Они выпускали авиа моторы. А располагались в Мюнхене. Именно Рапп Моторенверк и переименовали в БМВ в 1917 году.

Знак, столь привычный нам всем официально появился пятого октября того же года.
Округлая форма с черным ободом была использована с эмблемы Рапп, добавлены две перпендикулярные линии в центре. Чтобы отразить принадлежность к Баварии — окрасили сектора белым и голубым цветами, но наоборот. Так как прямое использование флага в эмблеме запрещено на тот момент.

И снова Ура! Разобрались причем тут флаг (хоть и наоборот) и что это опять же не пропеллер.
Но! Давайте начистоту. Винты все же были. Но не как первоначальная идея, а поздняя стилизация. В официальных промо 1929 и 1942 гг использовались изображения самолетов с пропеллерами и надписью бмв на их крутящемся фоне. Так что у сторонников авиа идеи есть основания утверждать о связи с самолетами, но не как основной идеи бело голубого креста.

Рассматривая в целом эволюцию дизайна эмблемы Баварских Моторов можно отметить строгость и немецкую сдержанность в преобразованиях. Что подтверждает изначально успешную композицию и выбор цветов.
Казалось бы все! Расходимся… но нет!
Я намеренно обхожу стороной последний представленный знак на прозрачной подложке — он плоский, современный и логичный. Я про 70ые года…

Хотя как про 70ые… как вам новые M4CSL и Hybrid V8? Вас не смутила эмблема? — Меня да, я пошел копать. Будучи не бмв-истом от слова «совсем», пришлось довольно много вникать и перепроверять.

Редко где увидишь упоминание о совсем необычном значке. Его еще называют motorsport roundel, хотя на сайте БМВру и фотографии из их архивов, значок подписан как M Logo Motorsport (1973). Вот где она — красота и инновация.

То есть, это двойное лого BMW + M/Motorsport. Которое позже превратится в три наклонных полоски. По поводу последних никаких тайн нет. Их разработали в Italdesign в 1987 и они имеют название «M Джуджаро». Цвета, кстати, немного отличаются от современных — это синий, фиолетовый и красный (близкий к розовому).
А вот с его радиальным прародителем не совсем ясно.
Ясно что в создании этого шедеврального лого точно участвовали Вольфганг Зеехаус, Манфред Реннен и студия Müller…

Если у кого будут дополнения именно по радиальным M полоскам и этому значку, буду рад!

Эта небольшая заметка написана в рамках серии записей о разном от tunecx детейлинг.
С любовью и интересом к автомобильной истории.

Телега — t.me/tunecx
Запрещенный картинкограм — instagram.com/tunecx

14 голосов

This article is about the German motor vehicle manufacturer. For other uses, see BMW (disambiguation).

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

Trading logo since 2020
BMW Headquarters in Munich, Germany
Type	Public (Aktiengesellschaft)
Traded as	FWB: BMW DAX Component
Industry	Automotive
Predecessors	Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik Rapp Motorenwerke Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach
Founded	7 March 1916; 106 years ago (as Bayerische Flugzeugwerke)
Founders	Camillo Castiglioni Franz Josef Popp Karl Rapp
Headquarters	Munich , Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Products	Cars Motorcycles
Production output	2,521,514 cars (2021) 194,261 motorcycles (2021)[1]
Brands	Automobiles Alpina BMW BMW i BMW M BMW X DriveNow Mini Rolls-Royce Motorcycles BMW Motorrad
Services	Financial services
Revenue	€111.239 billion (2021)[1]
Operating income	€16.060 billion (2021)[1]
Net income	€12.463 billion (2021)[1]
Total assets	€229.527 billion (2021)[1]
Total equity	€75.132 billion (2021)[1]
Owners	Public float (50%); Stefan Quandt (29%), Susanne Klatten (21%)
Number of employees	118,909 (2021)[1]
Website	bmw.com bmwgroup.com

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, abbreviated as BMW (German pronunciation: [ˌbeːʔɛmˈveː] (listen)), is a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria. The corporation was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced from 1917 until 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945.

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.^[2] 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 is a long-term shareholder of the company (with the remaining shares owned by public float), following investments by the brothers Herbert and Harald Quandt in 1959 which saved the company from bankruptcy.

History

Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik was founded in 1910 by Gustav Otto in Bavaria. 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 the original company to use the name was founded by Karl Rapp (initially as Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH). The name and Rapp Motorenwerke’s engine-production assets were transferred to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in 1922, who adopted the name the same year.^[3] BMW’s first product 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, farm 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 Austin Sevens under licence under the Dixi marque.^[4] The first car sold as a BMW was a rebadged 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 aircraft engine production using as many as 40,000 slave laborers.^[5] These consisted primarily of prisoners from 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. The Quandts’ father, Günther Quandt, was a well-known German industrialist. Quandt joined the Nazi party in 1933 and made a fortune arming the German Wehrmacht, manufacturing weapons and batteries.^{[6][better source needed]} 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.^{[7][better source needed]} One of his battery factories had its own on-site concentration camp, complete with gallows. Life expectancy for laborers was six months.^[8] 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.^[5]

The BMW 700 was successful and assisted in the company’s recovery.

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 coupe 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 coupes 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 company purchased the Rover Group in 1994, however the takeover was not successful and was causing 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 Plc.

The 1995 BMW Z3 expanded the line-up to include a mass-production two-seat roadster and the 1999 BMW X5 was the company’s entry into the SUV market.

The first modern mass-produced turbocharged petrol engine was introduced in 2006, (from 1973 to 1975, BMW built 1672 units of a turbocharged M10 engine for the BMW 2002 turbo),^[9] 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).^[10] 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).

In January 2021, BMW announced that its sales in 2020 fell by 8.4% 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% of its customers’ demands.^[11]

On 18 January 2022, BMW announced a new limited edition M760Li xDrive simply called «The Final V12,»^[12] the last BMW series production vehicle to be fitted with a V-12 engine.^[12]

BMW and Toyota aim to sell jointly-developed hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as soon as 2025.^[13][14]

Branding

Company name

BMW is an abbreviation for Bayerische Motoren Werke (German pronunciation: [ˈbaɪ̯ʁɪʃə mɔˈtʰɔʁn̩ ˈvɛɐ̯kə]). This name is grammatically incorrect (in German, compound words must not contain spaces), which is why the name’s grammatically correct form Bayerische Motorenwerke (German pronunciation: [ˈbaɪ̯ʁɪʃə mɔˈtʰɔʁn̩vɛɐ̯kə] (listen)) has been used in several publications and advertisements in the past.^[15][16] Bayerische Motorenwerke translates into English as Bavarian Motor Works.^[17] The suffix AG, short for Aktiengesellschaft, signifies an incorporated entity which is owned by shareholders, thus akin to «Inc.» (US) or PLC, «Public Limited Company» (UK).

The terms Beemer, Bimmer and Bee-em are sometimes used as slang for BMW in the English language^[18][19] and are sometimes used interchangeably for cars and motorcycles.^[20][21][22]

Logo

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,^[23] on a plinth a horse’s head couped.^[24]

BMW retained Rapp’s black ring inscribed with the company name, but adopted as the central element a circular escutcheon bearing a quasi-heraldic reference to the coat of arms (and flag) of the Free State of Bavaria (as the state of their origin was named after 1918), being the arms of the House of Wittelsbach, Dukes and Kings of Bavaria.^[23] However, as the local law regarding trademarks forbade the use of state coats of arms or other symbols of sovereignty on commercial logos, the design was sufficiently differentiated to comply, but retained the tinctures azure (blue) and argent (white).^[23][25][26]

The current iteration of the logo was introduced in 2020,^[27] removing 3D effects that had been used in renderings of the logo, and also removing the black outline encircling the rondel. The logo will be used on BMW’s branding but will not be used on vehicles.^[28][29]

The origin of the logo as a portrayal of the movement of an aircraft propeller, the BMW logo with the white blades seeming to cut through a blue sky, is a myth which sprang from a 1929 BMW advertisement depicting the BMW emblem overlaid on a rotating propeller, with the quarters defined by strobe-light effect, a promotion of an aircraft engine then being built by BMW under license from Pratt & Whitney.^[23]

For a long time, BMW made little effort to correct the myth that the BMW badge is a propeller

— Fred Jakobs, Archive Director, BMW Group Classic, ^[23]

It is well established that this propeller portrayal was first used in a BMW advertisement in 1929 – twelve years after the logo was created – so this is not the true origin of the logo.^[30]

Slogan

The slogan ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ was first used in North America in 1974.^[31][32] In 2010, this long-lived campaign was mostly supplanted by a campaign intended to make the brand more approachable and to better appeal to women, ‘Joy’. By 2012 BMW had returned to ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’.^[33]

Finances

For the fiscal year 2017, BMW reported earnings of EUR 8.620 billion, with an annual revenue of EUR 98.678 billion, an increase of 4.8% over the previous fiscal cycle.^[34] BMW’s shares traded at over €77 per share, and its market capitalization was valued at US 55.3 billion in November 2018.^[35]

Year	Revenue in bn. EUR€	Net income in bn. EUR€	Total Assets in bn. EUR€	Employees
2011	68.821	4.881	123.429	100,306
2012	76.848	5.096	131.850	105,876
2013	76.058	5.314	138.368	110,351
2014	80.401	5.798	154.803	116,324
2015	92.175	6.369	172.174	122,244
2016	94.163	6.863	188.535	124,729
2017	98.678	8.620	193.483	129,932
2018	97.480	7.117	208.980	134,682
2019	104.210	4.915	241.663	133,778
2020	98.990	3.775	216.658	120,726
2021	111.239	12.382	229.527	118,909

Motorcycles

BMW began production of motorcycle engines and then motorcycles after World War I.^[36] Its motorcycle brand is now known as BMW Motorrad. Their first successful motorcycle after the failed Helios and Flink, was the «R32» in 1923, though production originally began in 1921.^[37] This had a «boxer» twin engine, in which a cylinder projects into the air-flow from each side of the machine. Apart from their single-cylinder models (basically to the same pattern), all their motorcycles used this distinctive layout until the early 1980s. Many BMW’s are still produced in this layout, which is designated the R Series.

The entire BMW Motorcycle production has, since 1969, been located at the company’s Berlin-Spandau factory.

During the Second World War, BMW produced the BMW R75 motorcycle with a motor-driven sidecar attached, combined with a lockable differential, this made the vehicle very capable off-road.^[38][39]

In 1982, came the K Series, shaft drive but water-cooled and with either three or four cylinders mounted in a straight line from front to back. Shortly after, BMW also started making the chain-driven F and G series with single and parallel twin Rotax engines.

In the early 1990s, BMW updated the airhead Boxer engine which became known as the oilhead. In 2002, the oilhead engine had two spark plugs per cylinder. In 2004 it added a built-in balance shaft, an increased capacity to 1,170 cc (71 cu in) and enhanced performance to 75 kW (101 hp) for the R1200GS, compared to 63 kW (84 hp) of the previous R1150GS. More powerful variants of the oilhead engines are available in the R1100S and R1200S, producing 73 and 91 kW (98 and 122 hp), respectively.

In 2004, BMW introduced the new K1200S Sports Bike which marked a departure for BMW. It had an engine producing 125 kW (168 hp), derived from the company’s work with the Williams F1 team, and is lighter than previous K models. Innovations include electronically adjustable front and rear suspension, and a Hossack-type front fork that BMW calls Duolever.

BMW introduced anti-lock brakes on production motorcycles starting in the late 1980s. The generation of anti-lock brakes available on the 2006 and later BMW motorcycles paved the way for the introduction of electronic stability control, or anti-skid technology later in the 2007 model year.

BMW has been an innovator in motorcycle suspension design, taking up telescopic front suspension long before most other manufacturers. Then they switched to an Earles fork, front suspension by swinging fork (1955 to 1969). Most modern BMWs are truly rear swingarm, single sided at the back (compare with the regular swinging fork usually, and wrongly, called swinging arm).
Some BMWs started using yet another trademark front suspension design, the Telelever, in the early 1990s. Like the Earles fork, the Telelever significantly reduces dive under braking.

BMW Group, on 31 January 2013, announced that Pierer Industrie AG has bought Husqvarna Motorcycles for an undisclosed amount, which will not be revealed by either party in the future. The company is headed by Stephan Pierer (CEO of KTM). Pierer Industrie AG is 51% owner of KTM and 100% owner of Husqvarna.

In September 2018, BMW unveiled a new self-driving motorcycle with BMW Motorrad with a goal of using the technology to help improve road safety.^[40] The design of the bike was inspired by the company’s BMW R1200 GS model.^[41]

Automobiles

Current models

The current model lines of BMW cars are:

• 1 Series five-door hatchbacks (model code F40). A four-door sedan variant (model code F52) is also sold in China and Mexico.^[42]
• 2 Series two-door coupes (model code G42), «Active Tourer» five-seat MPVs (U06) and four-door «Gran Coupe» fastback sedans (model code F44).
• 3 Series four-door sedans (model code G20) and five-door station wagons (G21).
• 4 Series two-door coupes (model code G22), two-door convertibles (model code G23) and five-door «Gran Coupe» fastbacks (model code G26).
• 5 Series four-door sedans (model code G30) and five-door station wagons (G31). A long-wheelbase sedan variant (G38) is also sold in China.
• 6 Series «Gran Turismo» five-door fastbacks (model code G32)
• 7 Series four-door sedans (model code G70).
• 8 Series two-door coupes (model code G14), two-door convertibles (G15) and «Gran Coupe» four-door fastback sedans (G16).

• 

  2 Series Gran Coupé (F44)

The current model lines of the X Series SUVs and crossovers are:

• X1 (U11)
• X2 (F39)
• X3 (G01)
• X4 (G02)
• X5 (G05)
• X6 (G06)
• X7 (G07)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The current model line of the Z Series two-door roadsters is the Z4 (model code G29).

• 

i models

All-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles are sold under the BMW i sub-brand. The current model range consists of:

• i4 D-segment (compact) liftback, powered by one or two electric motors
• i7 F-segment (full-size) sedan, powered by two electric motors
• iX1 C-segment (subcompact) SUV, powered by two electric motors
• iX3 D-segment (compact) SUV, powered by one electric motor
• iX E-segment (mid-size) SUV, powered by two electric motors

• 

• 

• 

In addition, several plug-in hybrid models built on existing platforms have been marketed as iPerformance models. Examples include the 225xe using a 1.5 L three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor, the 330e/530e using a 2.0 L four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, and the 740e using a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor.^[43] Also, crossover and SUV plug-in hybrid models have been released using i technology: X1 xDrive25e, X2 xDrive25e, X3 xDrive30e, and X5 xDrive40e.^[44]

M models

The BMW M GmbH subsidiary (called BMW Motorsport GmbH until 1993) started making high-performance versions of various BMW models in 1978.

As of September 2022, the M lineup is:^[45]

• M3 four-door sedan and five-door station wagon
• M4 two-door coupe/convertible
• M5 four-door sedan
• M8 two-door coupe/convertible and four-door sedan
• X3 M compact SUV^[46]
• X4 M compact coupe SUV^[46]
• X5 M mid-size SUV^[47]
• X6 M mid-size coupe SUV^[48]

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The letter «M» is also often used in the marketing of BMW’s regular models, for example the F20 M140i model, the G11 M760Li model and various optional extras called «M Sport», «M Performance» or similar.

Naming convention for models

Motorsport

BMW has a long history of motorsport activities, including:

• Touring cars, such as DTM, WTCC, ETCC and BTCC
• Formula One
• Endurance racing, such as 24 Hours Nürburgring, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona and Spa 24 Hours
• Isle of Man TT
• Dakar Rally
• American Le Mans Series
• IMSA SportsCar Championship
• Formula BMW – a junior racing Formula category.
• Formula Two
• Formula E

• 

• 

• 

Involvement in the arts

Art Cars

In 1975, sculptor Alexander Calder was commissioned to paint the BMW 3.0 CSL racing car driven by Hervé Poulain at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which became the first in the series of BMW Art Cars. Since Calder’s work of art, many other renowned artists throughout the world have created BMW Art Cars, including David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol.^[49] To date, a total of 19 BMW Art Cars, based on both racing and regular production vehicles, have been created.

• 

  1975 3.0 CSL Art Car by Alexander Calder

• 

  1979 M1 Art Car by Andy Warhol

Architecture

The global BMW Headquarters in Munich represents the cylinder head of a 4-cylinder engine. It was designed by Karl Schwanzer and was completed in 1972. The building has become a European icon^[49] and was declared a protected historic building in 1999. The main tower consists of four vertical cylinders standing next to and across from each other. Each cylinder is divided horizontally in its center by a mold in the facade. Notably, these cylinders do not stand on the ground; they are suspended on a central support tower.

BMW Museum is a futuristic cauldron-shaped building, which was also designed by Karl Schwanzer and opened in 1972.^[50] The interior has a spiral theme and the roof is a 40-metre diameter BMW logo.

BMW Welt, the company’s exhibition space in Munich, was designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au and opened in 2007. It includes a showroom and lifting platforms where a customer’s new car is theatrically unveiled to the customer.^[51]

• 

  BMW Museum

• 

  BMW Welt

Film

In 2001 and 2002, BMW produced a series of 8 short films called The Hire, which had plots based around BMW models being driven to extremes by Clive Owen.^[52] The directors for The Hire included Guy Ritchie, John Woo, John Frankenheimer and Ang Lee. In 2016, a ninth film in the series was released.

The 2006 «BMW Performance Series» was a marketing event geared to attract black car buyers. It consisted of seven concerts by jazz musician Mike Phillips, and screenings of films by black filmmakers.^[53][54]

Visual arts

BMW was the principal sponsor of the 1998 The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at various Guggenheim museums, though the financial relationship between BMW and the Guggenheim Foundation was criticised in many quarters.^[55][56]

In 2012, BMW began sponsoring Independent Collectors production of the BMW Art Guide, which is the first global guide to private and publicly accessible collections of contemporary art worldwide.^[57] The fourth edition, released in 2016, features 256 collections from 43 countries.^[58]

Production and sales

BMW produces complete automobiles in the following countries:

• Germany: Munich, Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig
• Austria: Graz^[59]
• United States: Spartanburg^[60]
• Mexico: San Luis Potosí^[61]
• South Africa: Rosslyn
• India: Chennai
• China: Shenyang
• Brazil: Araquari

BMW also has local assembly operation using complete knock-down (CKD) components in Thailand, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and India.^[62]

In the UK, BMW has a Mini factory near Oxford, plants in Swindon and Hams Hall, and Rolls-Royce vehicle assembly at Goodwood. In 2020, these facilities were shut down for the period from March 23 to April 17 due to the coronavirus outbreak.^[63]

The BMW group (including Mini and Rolls-Royce) produced 1,366,838 automobiles in 2006 and then 1,481,253 automobiles in 2010.^[64][65] BMW Motorcycles are being produced at the company’s Berlin factory, which earlier had produced aircraft engines for Siemens.

By 2011, about 56% of BMW-brand vehicles produced are powered by petrol engines and the remaining 44% are powered by diesel engines. Of those petrol vehicles, about 27% are four-cylinder models and about nine percent are eight-cylinder models.^[66] On average, 9,000 vehicles per day exit BMW plants, and 63% are transported by rail.^[67]

Annual production since 2005, according to BMW’s annual reports:^[65]

Year	BMW	MINI	Rolls-Royce	Motorcycle*
2005	1,122,308	200,119	692	92,013
2006	1,179,317	186,674	847	103,759
2007	1,302,774	237,700	1,029	104,396
2008	1,203,482	235,019	1,417	118,452
2009	1,043,829	213,670	918	93,243
2010	1,236,989	241,043	3,221	112,271
2011	1,440,315	294,120	3,725	110,360
2012	1,547,057	311,490	3,279	113,811
2013	1,699,835	303,177	3,354	110,127
2014	1,838,268	322,803	4,495	133,615
2015	1,933,647	342,008	3,848	151,004
2016	2,002,997	352,580	4,179	145,555
2017	2,123,947	378,486	3,308	185,682
2018	2,168,496	368,685	4,353	162,687
2019	2,205,841	352,729	5,455	187,116
2020	1,980,740	271,121	3,776	168,104
2021	2,166,644	288,713	5,912	187,500

Annual sales since 2005, according to BMW’s annual reports:

Year	BMW	MINI	Rolls-Royce	Motorcycle*
2005	1,126,768	200,428	797	97,474
2006	1,185,089	188,077	805	100,064
2007	1,276,793	222,875	1,010	102,467
2008	1,202,239	232,425	1,212	115,196
2009	1,068,770	216,538	1,002	100,358
2010	1,224,280	234,175	2,711	110,113
2011	1,380,384	285,060	3,538	113,572
2012	1,540,085	301,525	3,575	117,109
2013	1,655,138	305,030	3,630	115,215**
2014	1,811,719	302,183	4,063	123,495
2015	1,905,234	338,466	3,785	136,963
2016	2,003,359	360,233	4,011	145,032
2017	2,088,283	371,881	3,362	164,153
2018	2,114,963	364,135	4,194	165,566
2019	2,185,793	347,474	5,100	175,162
2020	2,028,841	292,582	3,756	169,272
2021	2,213,379	302,138	5,586	194,261

* In 2008–2012, motorcycle productions figures include Husqvarna models.
** Excluding Husqvarna, sales volume up to 2013: 59,776 units.

Recalls

In November 2016, BMW recalled 136,000 2007–2012 model year U.S. cars for fuel pump wiring problems possibly resulting in fuel leak and engine stalling or restarting issues.^[68]

In 2018, BMW recalled 106,000 diesel vehicles in South Korea with a defective exhaust gas recirculation module, which caused 39 engine fires. The recall was then expanded to 324,000 more cars in Europe.^[69] Following the recall in South Korea, the government banned cars which had not yet been inspected from driving on public roads.^[70] This affected up to 25% of the recalled cars, where the owners had been notified but the cars had not yet been inspected. BMW is reported to have been aware since 2016 that more than 4% of the affected cars in South Korea had experienced failures in the EGR coolers,^[71] leading to approximately 20 owners suing the company.^[72]

Industry collaboration

BMW has collaborated with other car manufacturers on the following occasions:

• McLaren Automotive: BMW designed and produced the V12 engine that powered the McLaren F1.^[73][74]
• Groupe PSA (predecessor to Stellantis): Joint production of four-cylinder petrol engines, beginning in 2004.^[75]
• Daimler Benz: Joint venture to produce the hybrid drivetrain components used in the ActiveHybrid 7.^[76][77] Development of automated driving technology.^[78]
• Toyota: Three-part agreement in 2013 to jointly develop fuel cell technology, develop a joint platform for a sports car (for the 2018 BMW Z4 (G29) and Toyota Supra) and research lithium-air batteries.^[79][80][81]
• Audi and Mercedes: Joint purchase of Nokia’s Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps) in 2015.^[82]
• In 2018, Horizn Studios collaborated with BMW to launch special luggage editions.^[83]

BMW made a six-year sponsorship deal with the United States Olympic Committee in July 2010.^[84][85]

In golf, BMW has sponsored various events,^[86] including the PGA Championship since 2007,^[87][88] the Italian Open from 2009 to 2012, the BMW Masters in China from 2012 to 2015^[89][90] and the BMW International Open in Munich since 1989.^[91]

In rugby, BMW sponsored the South Africa national rugby union team from 2011 to 2015.^[92][93]

Environmental record

BMW is a charter member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Environmental Achievement Track, which recognizes companies for their environmental stewardship and performance.^[94] It is also a member of the South Carolina Environmental Excellence Program.^[95]

Since 1999, BMW has been named the world’s most sustainable automotive company every year by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.^[96] The BMW Group is one of three automotive companies to be featured every year in the index.^[97] In 2001, the BMW Group committed itself to the United Nations Environment Programme, the UN Global Compact and the Cleaner Production Declaration. It was also the first company in the automotive industry to appoint an environmental officer, in 1973.^[98] BMW is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.^[99]

In 2012, BMW was the highest automotive company in the Carbon Disclosure Project’s Global 500 list, with a score of 99 out of 100.^[100][101] The BMW Group was rated the most sustainable DAX 30 company by Sustainalytics in 2012.^[102]

To reduce vehicle emissions, BMW is improving the efficiency of existing fossil-fuel powered models, while researching electric power, hybrid power and hydrogen for future models.^[103]

During the first quarter of 2018, BMW sold 26,858 Electrified Vehicles (EVs, PHEVs, & Hybrids).^[104]

Car-sharing services

DriveNow was a joint-venture between BMW and Sixt that operated from in Europe from 2011 until 2019. By December 2012,^[105] DriveNow operated over 1,000 vehicles, in five cities and with approximately 60,000 customers.^[106]

In 2012, the BMW-owned subsidiary Alphabet began a corporate car-sharing service in Europe called AlphaCity.^[107][108]

The ReachNow car-sharing service was launched in Seattle in April 2016.^[109] ReachNow currently operates in Seattle, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2018, BMW announced the launching of a pilot car subscription service for the United States called Access by BMW (its first one for the country), in Nashville, Tennessee. In January 2021, the company said that Access by BMW was «suspended».^[110]

Overseas subsidiaries

Production facilities

China

The first BMW production facility in China was opened in 2004, as a result of a joint venture between BMW and Brilliance Auto.^[111][112] The plant was opened in the Shenyang industrial area and produces 3 Series and 5 Series models for the Chinese market.^[113][114] In 2012, a second factory was opened in Shenyang.^[115]

Between January and November 2014, BMW sold 415,200 vehicles in China, through a network of over 440 BMW stores and 100 Mini stores.^[116]

On 7 October 2021, BMW announced to be moving the production of the X5 from the United States to China.^[117]

In February 2022, BMW invested an additional $4.2 billion into the Chinese joint venture, increasing its stake from 50% to 75%, becoming one of the first foreign automakers holding majority stake in China.^[118]

In June 2022, BMW announced a new plant project in Lydia, Shenyang designed for electric vehicles. It will become BMW Group’s largest single project in China, costing 15 billion yuan (2.13 billion euros).^[119] The investment amount was raised by a further 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in November 2022, following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China.^[120]

Hungary

On 31 July 2018, BMW announced to build 1 billion euro car factory in Hungary. The plant, to be built near Debrecen, will have a production capacity of 150,000 cars a year.^[121]

Mexico

In July 2014, BMW announced it was establishing a plant in Mexico, in the city and state of San Luis Potosi involving an investment of $1 billion. The plant will employ 1,500 people, and produce 150,000 cars annually.^[122]

Netherlands

The Mini Convertible, Mini Countryman and BMW X1 are currently produced in the Netherlands at the VDL Nedcar factory in Born.^[123][124] Long-term orders for the Mini Countryman ended in 2020.^[125]

South Africa

BMWs have been assembled in South Africa since 1968,^[126] when Praetor Monteerders’ plant was opened in Rosslyn, near Pretoria. BMW initially bought shares in the company, before fully acquiring it in 1975; in so doing, the company became BMW South Africa, the first wholly owned subsidiary of BMW to be established outside Germany. Unlike United States manufacturers, such as Ford and GM, which divested from the country in the 1980s, BMW retained full ownership of its operations in South Africa.

Following the end of apartheid in 1994, and the lowering of import tariffs, BMW South Africa ended local production of the 5 Series and 7 Series, in order to concentrate on production of the 3 Series for the export market. South African–built BMWs are now exported to right hand drive markets including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 1997, BMW South Africa has produced vehicles in left-hand drive for export to Taiwan, the United States and Iran, as well as South America.

Three unique models that BMW Motorsport created for the South African market were the E23 M745i (1983), which used the M88 engine from the BMW M1, the BMW 333i (1986), which added a six-cylinder 3.2-litre M30 engine to the E30,^[127] and the E30 BMW 325is (1989) which was powered by an Alpina-derived 2.7-litre engine.

The plant code (position 11 in the VIN) for South African built models is «N».^[128]

United States

BMW cars have been officially sold in the United States since 1956^[129] and manufactured in the United States since 1994.^[130] The first BMW dealership in the United States opened in 1975.^[131] In 2016, BMW was the twelfth highest selling brand in the United States.^[132]

The manufacturing plant in Greer, South Carolina has the highest production of the BMW plants worldwide,^[133] currently producing approximately 1,500 vehicles per day.^[134] The models produced at the Spartanburg plant are the X3, X4, X6 and X7 SUV models. The X5 model’s production was announced to be moving to China in December 2021.^[117]

In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW’s North American companies include sales, marketing, design, and financial services operations in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Latin America.

Complete knock-down assembly facilities

Brazil

On 9 October 2014, BMW’s new complete knock-down (CKD) assembly plant in Araquari, assembled its first car— an F30 3 Series.^[135][136]

The cars assembled at Araquari are the F20 1 Series, F30 3 Series, F48 X1, F25 X3 and Mini Countryman.^[137]

Egypt

Bavarian Auto Group became the importer of the BMW and Mini brands in 2003.

Since 2005, the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1 and X3 models sold in Egypt are assembled from complete knock-down components at the BMW plant in 6th of October City.^[137]

India

BMW India was established in 2006 as a sales subsidiary with a head office located in Gurugram.

A BMW complete knock-down assembly plant was opened in Chennai in 2007, assembling Indian-market 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3, X5, Mini Countryman and motorcycle models.^[137][138] The 20 Million Euro plant aims to produce 1,700 cars per year.

Russia

Russian-market 3 Series and 5 Series cars are assembled from complete knock-down components in Kaliningrad beginning in 1999.^[139] In March 2022, BMW left Russian market and stopped importing and producing cars in Russia due to International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War.^[140]

Malaysia

BMW’s complete knock-down (CKD) assembly plant in Kedah. Assembled Malaysia-market 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3, X4, X5, X6 and Mini Countryman since 2008.^[141]

Vehicle importers

Canada

BMW’s first dealership in Canada, located in Ottawa, was opened in 1969.^[142] In 1986, BMW established a head office in Canada.^[143]

BMW sold 28,149 vehicles in Canada in 2008.^[144]

Japan

BMW Japan Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary, imports and distributes BMW vehicles in Japan.^[145]

Philippines

BMW Philippines, an owned subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation, is the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines.^[146]

BMW sold 920 vehicles in the Philippines in 2019.^[147]

South Korea

BMW Korea imports BMW vehicles in South Korea with more than fifty service centers to fully accomplish to South Korean customers. Also, BMW Korea has its own driving center in Incheon.^[148]

See also

• BMW Group Classic
• List of BMW engines

References

Further reading

External links

• Official website

This article is about the German motor vehicle manufacturer. For other uses, see BMW (disambiguation).

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

Trading logo since 2020
BMW Headquarters in Munich, Germany
Type	Public (Aktiengesellschaft)
Traded as	FWB: BMW DAX Component
Industry	Automotive
Predecessors	Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik Rapp Motorenwerke Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach
Founded	7 March 1916; 106 years ago (as Bayerische Flugzeugwerke)
Founders	Camillo Castiglioni Franz Josef Popp Karl Rapp
Headquarters	Munich , Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Products	Cars Motorcycles
Production output	2,521,514 cars (2021) 194,261 motorcycles (2021)[1]
Brands	Automobiles Alpina BMW BMW i BMW M BMW X DriveNow Mini Rolls-Royce Motorcycles BMW Motorrad
Services	Financial services
Revenue	€111.239 billion (2021)[1]
Operating income	€16.060 billion (2021)[1]
Net income	€12.463 billion (2021)[1]
Total assets	€229.527 billion (2021)[1]
Total equity	€75.132 billion (2021)[1]
Owners	Public float (50%); Stefan Quandt (29%), Susanne Klatten (21%)
Number of employees	118,909 (2021)[1]
Website	bmw.com bmwgroup.com

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, abbreviated as BMW (German pronunciation: [ˌbeːʔɛmˈveː] (listen)), is a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria. The corporation was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced from 1917 until 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945.

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.^[2] 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 is a long-term shareholder of the company (with the remaining shares owned by public float), following investments by the brothers Herbert and Harald Quandt in 1959 which saved the company from bankruptcy.

History

Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik was founded in 1910 by Gustav Otto in Bavaria. 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 the original company to use the name was founded by Karl Rapp (initially as Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH). The name and Rapp Motorenwerke’s engine-production assets were transferred to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in 1922, who adopted the name the same year.^[3] BMW’s first product 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, farm 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 Austin Sevens under licence under the Dixi marque.^[4] The first car sold as a BMW was a rebadged 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 aircraft engine production using as many as 40,000 slave laborers.^[5] These consisted primarily of prisoners from 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. The Quandts’ father, Günther Quandt, was a well-known German industrialist. Quandt joined the Nazi party in 1933 and made a fortune arming the German Wehrmacht, manufacturing weapons and batteries.^{[6][better source needed]} 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.^{[7][better source needed]} One of his battery factories had its own on-site concentration camp, complete with gallows. Life expectancy for laborers was six months.^[8] 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.^[5]

The BMW 700 was successful and assisted in the company’s recovery.

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 coupe 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 coupes 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 company purchased the Rover Group in 1994, however the takeover was not successful and was causing 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 Plc.

The 1995 BMW Z3 expanded the line-up to include a mass-production two-seat roadster and the 1999 BMW X5 was the company’s entry into the SUV market.

The first modern mass-produced turbocharged petrol engine was introduced in 2006, (from 1973 to 1975, BMW built 1672 units of a turbocharged M10 engine for the BMW 2002 turbo),^[9] 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).^[10] 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).

In January 2021, BMW announced that its sales in 2020 fell by 8.4% 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% of its customers’ demands.^[11]

On 18 January 2022, BMW announced a new limited edition M760Li xDrive simply called «The Final V12,»^[12] the last BMW series production vehicle to be fitted with a V-12 engine.^[12]

BMW and Toyota aim to sell jointly-developed hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as soon as 2025.^[13][14]

Branding

Company name

BMW is an abbreviation for Bayerische Motoren Werke (German pronunciation: [ˈbaɪ̯ʁɪʃə mɔˈtʰɔʁn̩ ˈvɛɐ̯kə]). This name is grammatically incorrect (in German, compound words must not contain spaces), which is why the name’s grammatically correct form Bayerische Motorenwerke (German pronunciation: [ˈbaɪ̯ʁɪʃə mɔˈtʰɔʁn̩vɛɐ̯kə] (listen)) has been used in several publications and advertisements in the past.^[15][16] Bayerische Motorenwerke translates into English as Bavarian Motor Works.^[17] The suffix AG, short for Aktiengesellschaft, signifies an incorporated entity which is owned by shareholders, thus akin to «Inc.» (US) or PLC, «Public Limited Company» (UK).

The terms Beemer, Bimmer and Bee-em are sometimes used as slang for BMW in the English language^[18][19] and are sometimes used interchangeably for cars and motorcycles.^[20][21][22]

Logo

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,^[23] on a plinth a horse’s head couped.^[24]

BMW retained Rapp’s black ring inscribed with the company name, but adopted as the central element a circular escutcheon bearing a quasi-heraldic reference to the coat of arms (and flag) of the Free State of Bavaria (as the state of their origin was named after 1918), being the arms of the House of Wittelsbach, Dukes and Kings of Bavaria.^[23] However, as the local law regarding trademarks forbade the use of state coats of arms or other symbols of sovereignty on commercial logos, the design was sufficiently differentiated to comply, but retained the tinctures azure (blue) and argent (white).^[23][25][26]

The current iteration of the logo was introduced in 2020,^[27] removing 3D effects that had been used in renderings of the logo, and also removing the black outline encircling the rondel. The logo will be used on BMW’s branding but will not be used on vehicles.^[28][29]

The origin of the logo as a portrayal of the movement of an aircraft propeller, the BMW logo with the white blades seeming to cut through a blue sky, is a myth which sprang from a 1929 BMW advertisement depicting the BMW emblem overlaid on a rotating propeller, with the quarters defined by strobe-light effect, a promotion of an aircraft engine then being built by BMW under license from Pratt & Whitney.^[23]

For a long time, BMW made little effort to correct the myth that the BMW badge is a propeller

— Fred Jakobs, Archive Director, BMW Group Classic, ^[23]

It is well established that this propeller portrayal was first used in a BMW advertisement in 1929 – twelve years after the logo was created – so this is not the true origin of the logo.^[30]

Slogan

The slogan ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ was first used in North America in 1974.^[31][32] In 2010, this long-lived campaign was mostly supplanted by a campaign intended to make the brand more approachable and to better appeal to women, ‘Joy’. By 2012 BMW had returned to ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’.^[33]

Finances

For the fiscal year 2017, BMW reported earnings of EUR 8.620 billion, with an annual revenue of EUR 98.678 billion, an increase of 4.8% over the previous fiscal cycle.^[34] BMW’s shares traded at over €77 per share, and its market capitalization was valued at US 55.3 billion in November 2018.^[35]

Year	Revenue in bn. EUR€	Net income in bn. EUR€	Total Assets in bn. EUR€	Employees
2011	68.821	4.881	123.429	100,306
2012	76.848	5.096	131.850	105,876
2013	76.058	5.314	138.368	110,351
2014	80.401	5.798	154.803	116,324
2015	92.175	6.369	172.174	122,244
2016	94.163	6.863	188.535	124,729
2017	98.678	8.620	193.483	129,932
2018	97.480	7.117	208.980	134,682
2019	104.210	4.915	241.663	133,778
2020	98.990	3.775	216.658	120,726
2021	111.239	12.382	229.527	118,909

Motorcycles

BMW began production of motorcycle engines and then motorcycles after World War I.^[36] Its motorcycle brand is now known as BMW Motorrad. Their first successful motorcycle after the failed Helios and Flink, was the «R32» in 1923, though production originally began in 1921.^[37] This had a «boxer» twin engine, in which a cylinder projects into the air-flow from each side of the machine. Apart from their single-cylinder models (basically to the same pattern), all their motorcycles used this distinctive layout until the early 1980s. Many BMW’s are still produced in this layout, which is designated the R Series.

The entire BMW Motorcycle production has, since 1969, been located at the company’s Berlin-Spandau factory.

During the Second World War, BMW produced the BMW R75 motorcycle with a motor-driven sidecar attached, combined with a lockable differential, this made the vehicle very capable off-road.^[38][39]

In 1982, came the K Series, shaft drive but water-cooled and with either three or four cylinders mounted in a straight line from front to back. Shortly after, BMW also started making the chain-driven F and G series with single and parallel twin Rotax engines.

In the early 1990s, BMW updated the airhead Boxer engine which became known as the oilhead. In 2002, the oilhead engine had two spark plugs per cylinder. In 2004 it added a built-in balance shaft, an increased capacity to 1,170 cc (71 cu in) and enhanced performance to 75 kW (101 hp) for the R1200GS, compared to 63 kW (84 hp) of the previous R1150GS. More powerful variants of the oilhead engines are available in the R1100S and R1200S, producing 73 and 91 kW (98 and 122 hp), respectively.

In 2004, BMW introduced the new K1200S Sports Bike which marked a departure for BMW. It had an engine producing 125 kW (168 hp), derived from the company’s work with the Williams F1 team, and is lighter than previous K models. Innovations include electronically adjustable front and rear suspension, and a Hossack-type front fork that BMW calls Duolever.

BMW introduced anti-lock brakes on production motorcycles starting in the late 1980s. The generation of anti-lock brakes available on the 2006 and later BMW motorcycles paved the way for the introduction of electronic stability control, or anti-skid technology later in the 2007 model year.

BMW has been an innovator in motorcycle suspension design, taking up telescopic front suspension long before most other manufacturers. Then they switched to an Earles fork, front suspension by swinging fork (1955 to 1969). Most modern BMWs are truly rear swingarm, single sided at the back (compare with the regular swinging fork usually, and wrongly, called swinging arm).
Some BMWs started using yet another trademark front suspension design, the Telelever, in the early 1990s. Like the Earles fork, the Telelever significantly reduces dive under braking.

BMW Group, on 31 January 2013, announced that Pierer Industrie AG has bought Husqvarna Motorcycles for an undisclosed amount, which will not be revealed by either party in the future. The company is headed by Stephan Pierer (CEO of KTM). Pierer Industrie AG is 51% owner of KTM and 100% owner of Husqvarna.

In September 2018, BMW unveiled a new self-driving motorcycle with BMW Motorrad with a goal of using the technology to help improve road safety.^[40] The design of the bike was inspired by the company’s BMW R1200 GS model.^[41]

Automobiles

Current models

The current model lines of BMW cars are:

• 1 Series five-door hatchbacks (model code F40). A four-door sedan variant (model code F52) is also sold in China and Mexico.^[42]
• 2 Series two-door coupes (model code G42), «Active Tourer» five-seat MPVs (U06) and four-door «Gran Coupe» fastback sedans (model code F44).
• 3 Series four-door sedans (model code G20) and five-door station wagons (G21).
• 4 Series two-door coupes (model code G22), two-door convertibles (model code G23) and five-door «Gran Coupe» fastbacks (model code G26).
• 5 Series four-door sedans (model code G30) and five-door station wagons (G31). A long-wheelbase sedan variant (G38) is also sold in China.
• 6 Series «Gran Turismo» five-door fastbacks (model code G32)
• 7 Series four-door sedans (model code G70).
• 8 Series two-door coupes (model code G14), two-door convertibles (G15) and «Gran Coupe» four-door fastback sedans (G16).

• 

  2 Series Gran Coupé (F44)

The current model lines of the X Series SUVs and crossovers are:

• X1 (U11)
• X2 (F39)
• X3 (G01)
• X4 (G02)
• X5 (G05)
• X6 (G06)
• X7 (G07)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The current model line of the Z Series two-door roadsters is the Z4 (model code G29).

• 

i models

All-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles are sold under the BMW i sub-brand. The current model range consists of:

• i4 D-segment (compact) liftback, powered by one or two electric motors
• i7 F-segment (full-size) sedan, powered by two electric motors
• iX1 C-segment (subcompact) SUV, powered by two electric motors
• iX3 D-segment (compact) SUV, powered by one electric motor
• iX E-segment (mid-size) SUV, powered by two electric motors

• 

• 

• 

In addition, several plug-in hybrid models built on existing platforms have been marketed as iPerformance models. Examples include the 225xe using a 1.5 L three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor, the 330e/530e using a 2.0 L four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, and the 740e using a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor.^[43] Also, crossover and SUV plug-in hybrid models have been released using i technology: X1 xDrive25e, X2 xDrive25e, X3 xDrive30e, and X5 xDrive40e.^[44]

M models

The BMW M GmbH subsidiary (called BMW Motorsport GmbH until 1993) started making high-performance versions of various BMW models in 1978.

As of September 2022, the M lineup is:^[45]

• M3 four-door sedan and five-door station wagon
• M4 two-door coupe/convertible
• M5 four-door sedan
• M8 two-door coupe/convertible and four-door sedan
• X3 M compact SUV^[46]
• X4 M compact coupe SUV^[46]
• X5 M mid-size SUV^[47]
• X6 M mid-size coupe SUV^[48]

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The letter «M» is also often used in the marketing of BMW’s regular models, for example the F20 M140i model, the G11 M760Li model and various optional extras called «M Sport», «M Performance» or similar.

Naming convention for models

Motorsport

BMW has a long history of motorsport activities, including:

• Touring cars, such as DTM, WTCC, ETCC and BTCC
• Formula One
• Endurance racing, such as 24 Hours Nürburgring, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona and Spa 24 Hours
• Isle of Man TT
• Dakar Rally
• American Le Mans Series
• IMSA SportsCar Championship
• Formula BMW – a junior racing Formula category.
• Formula Two
• Formula E

• 

• 

• 

Involvement in the arts

Art Cars

In 1975, sculptor Alexander Calder was commissioned to paint the BMW 3.0 CSL racing car driven by Hervé Poulain at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which became the first in the series of BMW Art Cars. Since Calder’s work of art, many other renowned artists throughout the world have created BMW Art Cars, including David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol.^[49] To date, a total of 19 BMW Art Cars, based on both racing and regular production vehicles, have been created.

• 

  1975 3.0 CSL Art Car by Alexander Calder

• 

  1979 M1 Art Car by Andy Warhol

Architecture

The global BMW Headquarters in Munich represents the cylinder head of a 4-cylinder engine. It was designed by Karl Schwanzer and was completed in 1972. The building has become a European icon^[49] and was declared a protected historic building in 1999. The main tower consists of four vertical cylinders standing next to and across from each other. Each cylinder is divided horizontally in its center by a mold in the facade. Notably, these cylinders do not stand on the ground; they are suspended on a central support tower.

BMW Museum is a futuristic cauldron-shaped building, which was also designed by Karl Schwanzer and opened in 1972.^[50] The interior has a spiral theme and the roof is a 40-metre diameter BMW logo.

BMW Welt, the company’s exhibition space in Munich, was designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au and opened in 2007. It includes a showroom and lifting platforms where a customer’s new car is theatrically unveiled to the customer.^[51]

• 

  BMW Museum

• 

  BMW Welt

Film

In 2001 and 2002, BMW produced a series of 8 short films called The Hire, which had plots based around BMW models being driven to extremes by Clive Owen.^[52] The directors for The Hire included Guy Ritchie, John Woo, John Frankenheimer and Ang Lee. In 2016, a ninth film in the series was released.

The 2006 «BMW Performance Series» was a marketing event geared to attract black car buyers. It consisted of seven concerts by jazz musician Mike Phillips, and screenings of films by black filmmakers.^[53][54]

Visual arts

BMW was the principal sponsor of the 1998 The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at various Guggenheim museums, though the financial relationship between BMW and the Guggenheim Foundation was criticised in many quarters.^[55][56]

In 2012, BMW began sponsoring Independent Collectors production of the BMW Art Guide, which is the first global guide to private and publicly accessible collections of contemporary art worldwide.^[57] The fourth edition, released in 2016, features 256 collections from 43 countries.^[58]

Production and sales

BMW produces complete automobiles in the following countries:

• Germany: Munich, Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig
• Austria: Graz^[59]
• United States: Spartanburg^[60]
• Mexico: San Luis Potosí^[61]
• South Africa: Rosslyn
• India: Chennai
• China: Shenyang
• Brazil: Araquari

BMW also has local assembly operation using complete knock-down (CKD) components in Thailand, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and India.^[62]

In the UK, BMW has a Mini factory near Oxford, plants in Swindon and Hams Hall, and Rolls-Royce vehicle assembly at Goodwood. In 2020, these facilities were shut down for the period from March 23 to April 17 due to the coronavirus outbreak.^[63]

The BMW group (including Mini and Rolls-Royce) produced 1,366,838 automobiles in 2006 and then 1,481,253 automobiles in 2010.^[64][65] BMW Motorcycles are being produced at the company’s Berlin factory, which earlier had produced aircraft engines for Siemens.

By 2011, about 56% of BMW-brand vehicles produced are powered by petrol engines and the remaining 44% are powered by diesel engines. Of those petrol vehicles, about 27% are four-cylinder models and about nine percent are eight-cylinder models.^[66] On average, 9,000 vehicles per day exit BMW plants, and 63% are transported by rail.^[67]

Annual production since 2005, according to BMW’s annual reports:^[65]

Year	BMW	MINI	Rolls-Royce	Motorcycle*
2005	1,122,308	200,119	692	92,013
2006	1,179,317	186,674	847	103,759
2007	1,302,774	237,700	1,029	104,396
2008	1,203,482	235,019	1,417	118,452
2009	1,043,829	213,670	918	93,243
2010	1,236,989	241,043	3,221	112,271
2011	1,440,315	294,120	3,725	110,360
2012	1,547,057	311,490	3,279	113,811
2013	1,699,835	303,177	3,354	110,127
2014	1,838,268	322,803	4,495	133,615
2015	1,933,647	342,008	3,848	151,004
2016	2,002,997	352,580	4,179	145,555
2017	2,123,947	378,486	3,308	185,682
2018	2,168,496	368,685	4,353	162,687
2019	2,205,841	352,729	5,455	187,116
2020	1,980,740	271,121	3,776	168,104
2021	2,166,644	288,713	5,912	187,500

Annual sales since 2005, according to BMW’s annual reports:

Year	BMW	MINI	Rolls-Royce	Motorcycle*
2005	1,126,768	200,428	797	97,474
2006	1,185,089	188,077	805	100,064
2007	1,276,793	222,875	1,010	102,467
2008	1,202,239	232,425	1,212	115,196
2009	1,068,770	216,538	1,002	100,358
2010	1,224,280	234,175	2,711	110,113
2011	1,380,384	285,060	3,538	113,572
2012	1,540,085	301,525	3,575	117,109
2013	1,655,138	305,030	3,630	115,215**
2014	1,811,719	302,183	4,063	123,495
2015	1,905,234	338,466	3,785	136,963
2016	2,003,359	360,233	4,011	145,032
2017	2,088,283	371,881	3,362	164,153
2018	2,114,963	364,135	4,194	165,566
2019	2,185,793	347,474	5,100	175,162
2020	2,028,841	292,582	3,756	169,272
2021	2,213,379	302,138	5,586	194,261

* In 2008–2012, motorcycle productions figures include Husqvarna models.
** Excluding Husqvarna, sales volume up to 2013: 59,776 units.

Recalls

In November 2016, BMW recalled 136,000 2007–2012 model year U.S. cars for fuel pump wiring problems possibly resulting in fuel leak and engine stalling or restarting issues.^[68]

In 2018, BMW recalled 106,000 diesel vehicles in South Korea with a defective exhaust gas recirculation module, which caused 39 engine fires. The recall was then expanded to 324,000 more cars in Europe.^[69] Following the recall in South Korea, the government banned cars which had not yet been inspected from driving on public roads.^[70] This affected up to 25% of the recalled cars, where the owners had been notified but the cars had not yet been inspected. BMW is reported to have been aware since 2016 that more than 4% of the affected cars in South Korea had experienced failures in the EGR coolers,^[71] leading to approximately 20 owners suing the company.^[72]

Industry collaboration

BMW has collaborated with other car manufacturers on the following occasions:

• McLaren Automotive: BMW designed and produced the V12 engine that powered the McLaren F1.^[73][74]
• Groupe PSA (predecessor to Stellantis): Joint production of four-cylinder petrol engines, beginning in 2004.^[75]
• Daimler Benz: Joint venture to produce the hybrid drivetrain components used in the ActiveHybrid 7.^[76][77] Development of automated driving technology.^[78]
• Toyota: Three-part agreement in 2013 to jointly develop fuel cell technology, develop a joint platform for a sports car (for the 2018 BMW Z4 (G29) and Toyota Supra) and research lithium-air batteries.^[79][80][81]
• Audi and Mercedes: Joint purchase of Nokia’s Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps) in 2015.^[82]
• In 2018, Horizn Studios collaborated with BMW to launch special luggage editions.^[83]

BMW made a six-year sponsorship deal with the United States Olympic Committee in July 2010.^[84][85]

In golf, BMW has sponsored various events,^[86] including the PGA Championship since 2007,^[87][88] the Italian Open from 2009 to 2012, the BMW Masters in China from 2012 to 2015^[89][90] and the BMW International Open in Munich since 1989.^[91]

In rugby, BMW sponsored the South Africa national rugby union team from 2011 to 2015.^[92][93]

Environmental record

BMW is a charter member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Environmental Achievement Track, which recognizes companies for their environmental stewardship and performance.^[94] It is also a member of the South Carolina Environmental Excellence Program.^[95]

Since 1999, BMW has been named the world’s most sustainable automotive company every year by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.^[96] The BMW Group is one of three automotive companies to be featured every year in the index.^[97] In 2001, the BMW Group committed itself to the United Nations Environment Programme, the UN Global Compact and the Cleaner Production Declaration. It was also the first company in the automotive industry to appoint an environmental officer, in 1973.^[98] BMW is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.^[99]

In 2012, BMW was the highest automotive company in the Carbon Disclosure Project’s Global 500 list, with a score of 99 out of 100.^[100][101] The BMW Group was rated the most sustainable DAX 30 company by Sustainalytics in 2012.^[102]

To reduce vehicle emissions, BMW is improving the efficiency of existing fossil-fuel powered models, while researching electric power, hybrid power and hydrogen for future models.^[103]

During the first quarter of 2018, BMW sold 26,858 Electrified Vehicles (EVs, PHEVs, & Hybrids).^[104]

Car-sharing services

DriveNow was a joint-venture between BMW and Sixt that operated from in Europe from 2011 until 2019. By December 2012,^[105] DriveNow operated over 1,000 vehicles, in five cities and with approximately 60,000 customers.^[106]

In 2012, the BMW-owned subsidiary Alphabet began a corporate car-sharing service in Europe called AlphaCity.^[107][108]

The ReachNow car-sharing service was launched in Seattle in April 2016.^[109] ReachNow currently operates in Seattle, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2018, BMW announced the launching of a pilot car subscription service for the United States called Access by BMW (its first one for the country), in Nashville, Tennessee. In January 2021, the company said that Access by BMW was «suspended».^[110]

Overseas subsidiaries

Production facilities

China

The first BMW production facility in China was opened in 2004, as a result of a joint venture between BMW and Brilliance Auto.^[111][112] The plant was opened in the Shenyang industrial area and produces 3 Series and 5 Series models for the Chinese market.^[113][114] In 2012, a second factory was opened in Shenyang.^[115]

Between January and November 2014, BMW sold 415,200 vehicles in China, through a network of over 440 BMW stores and 100 Mini stores.^[116]

On 7 October 2021, BMW announced to be moving the production of the X5 from the United States to China.^[117]

In February 2022, BMW invested an additional $4.2 billion into the Chinese joint venture, increasing its stake from 50% to 75%, becoming one of the first foreign automakers holding majority stake in China.^[118]

In June 2022, BMW announced a new plant project in Lydia, Shenyang designed for electric vehicles. It will become BMW Group’s largest single project in China, costing 15 billion yuan (2.13 billion euros).^[119] The investment amount was raised by a further 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in November 2022, following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China.^[120]

Hungary

On 31 July 2018, BMW announced to build 1 billion euro car factory in Hungary. The plant, to be built near Debrecen, will have a production capacity of 150,000 cars a year.^[121]

Mexico

In July 2014, BMW announced it was establishing a plant in Mexico, in the city and state of San Luis Potosi involving an investment of $1 billion. The plant will employ 1,500 people, and produce 150,000 cars annually.^[122]

Netherlands

The Mini Convertible, Mini Countryman and BMW X1 are currently produced in the Netherlands at the VDL Nedcar factory in Born.^[123][124] Long-term orders for the Mini Countryman ended in 2020.^[125]

South Africa

BMWs have been assembled in South Africa since 1968,^[126] when Praetor Monteerders’ plant was opened in Rosslyn, near Pretoria. BMW initially bought shares in the company, before fully acquiring it in 1975; in so doing, the company became BMW South Africa, the first wholly owned subsidiary of BMW to be established outside Germany. Unlike United States manufacturers, such as Ford and GM, which divested from the country in the 1980s, BMW retained full ownership of its operations in South Africa.

Following the end of apartheid in 1994, and the lowering of import tariffs, BMW South Africa ended local production of the 5 Series and 7 Series, in order to concentrate on production of the 3 Series for the export market. South African–built BMWs are now exported to right hand drive markets including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 1997, BMW South Africa has produced vehicles in left-hand drive for export to Taiwan, the United States and Iran, as well as South America.

Three unique models that BMW Motorsport created for the South African market were the E23 M745i (1983), which used the M88 engine from the BMW M1, the BMW 333i (1986), which added a six-cylinder 3.2-litre M30 engine to the E30,^[127] and the E30 BMW 325is (1989) which was powered by an Alpina-derived 2.7-litre engine.

The plant code (position 11 in the VIN) for South African built models is «N».^[128]

United States

BMW cars have been officially sold in the United States since 1956^[129] and manufactured in the United States since 1994.^[130] The first BMW dealership in the United States opened in 1975.^[131] In 2016, BMW was the twelfth highest selling brand in the United States.^[132]

The manufacturing plant in Greer, South Carolina has the highest production of the BMW plants worldwide,^[133] currently producing approximately 1,500 vehicles per day.^[134] The models produced at the Spartanburg plant are the X3, X4, X6 and X7 SUV models. The X5 model’s production was announced to be moving to China in December 2021.^[117]

In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW’s North American companies include sales, marketing, design, and financial services operations in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Latin America.

Complete knock-down assembly facilities

Brazil

On 9 October 2014, BMW’s new complete knock-down (CKD) assembly plant in Araquari, assembled its first car— an F30 3 Series.^[135][136]

The cars assembled at Araquari are the F20 1 Series, F30 3 Series, F48 X1, F25 X3 and Mini Countryman.^[137]

Egypt

Bavarian Auto Group became the importer of the BMW and Mini brands in 2003.

Since 2005, the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1 and X3 models sold in Egypt are assembled from complete knock-down components at the BMW plant in 6th of October City.^[137]

India

BMW India was established in 2006 as a sales subsidiary with a head office located in Gurugram.

A BMW complete knock-down assembly plant was opened in Chennai in 2007, assembling Indian-market 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3, X5, Mini Countryman and motorcycle models.^[137][138] The 20 Million Euro plant aims to produce 1,700 cars per year.

Russia

Russian-market 3 Series and 5 Series cars are assembled from complete knock-down components in Kaliningrad beginning in 1999.^[139] In March 2022, BMW left Russian market and stopped importing and producing cars in Russia due to International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War.^[140]

Malaysia

BMW’s complete knock-down (CKD) assembly plant in Kedah. Assembled Malaysia-market 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3, X4, X5, X6 and Mini Countryman since 2008.^[141]

Vehicle importers

Canada

BMW’s first dealership in Canada, located in Ottawa, was opened in 1969.^[142] In 1986, BMW established a head office in Canada.^[143]

BMW sold 28,149 vehicles in Canada in 2008.^[144]

Japan

BMW Japan Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary, imports and distributes BMW vehicles in Japan.^[145]

Philippines

BMW Philippines, an owned subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation, is the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines.^[146]

BMW sold 920 vehicles in the Philippines in 2019.^[147]

South Korea

BMW Korea imports BMW vehicles in South Korea with more than fifty service centers to fully accomplish to South Korean customers. Also, BMW Korea has its own driving center in Incheon.^[148]

See also

• BMW Group Classic
• List of BMW engines

References

Further reading

External links

• Official website

BMW – это, вне всяких сомнений, яркий пример высоких автомобильных технологий. Каждая модель марки БМВ имеет собственные отличительные черты и неповторимый дерзкий характер. Основными преимуществами автомобилей данной марки считаются их повышенная надежность, высокий уровень качества, сочетание спортивного характера и комфорта, а также технические характеристики, признанные одними из лучших в мире автолюбителей.

BMW относится к разряду элитного транспорта и, как следствие, недешевого и в обслуживании. Владельцы таких машин по праву гордятся своим автомобилем, так как дороговизна автоматически отсеивает тех, кто не способен по достоинству оценить данную марку.

Как говорят многие владельцы, BMW — это автомобиль, способный подчеркнуть статус и индивидуальность его обладателя. Машина действительно уникальная и на сегодняшний день не имеющая аналогов, достоинства которой сложно переоценить.

А многие ли знают историю марки BMW? Как расшифровывается (и значение данной аббревиатуры)? Приступим к рассмотрению вопроса.

Компания с громким названием имеет длинную и не менее интересную историю создания и деятельности. Уже много лет производители шокируют публику новинками и высокими достижениями в области строительства автомобилей.

Информация о происхождении названия BMW (как расшифровывается эта аббревиатура) долгое время хранилась в тайне.

Не все производители автомобилей, которые на сегодняшний день добились немалых успехов на коммерческом поприще, начинали изготавливать именно автотранспорт. Многие заводы, особенно с длинной историей, начинали с конструирования специальной техники, двигателей, авиадеталей.

Сейчас это крупная автомобильная компания, но начинали свою деятельность её основатели как производители качественной авиатехники, в частности, двигателей. Отсюда и произошло название, известное по сегодняшний день.

Итак, как расшифровывается BMW на немецком? Звучит это как Bayerische Motoren Werke, дословный перевод – «Баварский Моторный Завод». Компания появилась в начале ХХ века в Мюнхене в результате слияния двух небольших предприятий – Rapp-Flugmotoren Werke и Otto-Werke, занимавшихся конструированием и производством авиадвигателей.

Дальнейшая история функционирования и развития компании

После поражения в Первой мировой войне Германии было запрещено конструировать двигатели для авиатранспорта. Предприятие было на грани разорения. Предпринимались попытки создания тормозов для поездов, мотоциклов. В 20-е годы было отмечено высокое качество моторов BMW. На авиатехнике, оснащенной ими, поставлено несколько мировых рекордов.

В 1929 году с производства сошел первый автомобиль Dixi.

С окончанием Второй мировой войны дела компании ухудшились. Предприятие снова перешло на выпуск хозяйственных товаров, велосипедов и легких мотоциклов.

Первый автомобиль после войны вышел лишь в начале 1950-х. Далее следуют годы развития и расцвета компании.

В 1956 году проектируются и выходят в мир первые спортивные автомобили. Производство мотоциклов ставится на широкий поток и достигает неимоверных масштабов.

В 1970-х годах машины усовершенствуются благодаря двигателям с цифровым управлением и системой ABS.

В 1972 году в Мюнхене был открыт музей, посвященный BMW.

С началом 1990-х открываются многие офисы компании за рубежом.

В 1999 году был выпущен первый спортивный автомобиль для активного отдыха – BMW Х5. Выход этой машины ознаменовал новый этап в существовании BMW. В последующие годы компания активно выпускала новую технику и неоднократно удостаивалась международных наград.

Сегодня BMW остаётся одной из лидирующих фирм, производящих автомобили. Открыты большие заводы данной марки по всему миру, а также создано множество дочерних предприятий.

Неофициальные названия BMW

Новая марка очень быстро приобретала популярность и стала известна в мире просто как BMW. Как расшифровывается на английском языке эта аббревиатура, поначалу было неясно: англичане произносят название автомобиля не так, как в Германии, что и вводило людей в заблуждение. Сейчас же ситуация прояснилась. BMW расшифровывается приближенно к оригиналу — Bavarian Motor Works.

С самого начала своего производства автокомпания заявляла, что BMW – автомобиль для водителя. Эта машина ещё много лет назад покорила представителей криминальных структур России своей скоростью, маневренностью и удобством в управлении.

Таким образом, кроме всем известных «бумеров», в России существует еще одна неофициальная версия того, как расшифровывается BMW на русском языке. Автомобиль по аналогии с аббревиатурой БМП стали называть «боевой машиной вымогателя». Вариант, безусловно, далекий от оригинала, но в чем-то подчеркивающий главные черты автомобиля, которые и покорили его владельцев.

Фирменный символ

Эмблема полностью отображает историю создания компании, которая начала свою деятельность с производства моторов для авиатранспорта. Круг, поделенный на четыре равных сектора, означает символ вращающегося пропеллера. Также цветовая схема напоминает бело-голубой флаг Баварии.

За всю историю существования компания сохраняла верность своим символам. За столетие они практически не изменялись. Преобразование коснулось лишь шрифта букв BMW, и произошло это еще в 1963 году. Так как общественность успела привыкнуть к тому, как расшифровывается аббревиатура BMW, изменений больше не происходило. С того времени все отличительные знаки компании остаются прежними.

Различие моделей по цифровым символам

Модельный ряд марки очень широк. Без специальных обозначений легко запутаться среди схожих машин. Компания BMW имеет несколько специфические маркировки в названиях своих автомобилей.

Трёхзначная маркировка стала широко применяться в конце пятидесятых годов и означала приблизительный объём двигателя. Позже появились четырёхзначные обозначения, где четвёртая цифра указывала на количество дверей. К примеру, как расшифровывается BMW 2002? Это автомобиль с двухлитровым мотором и наличием двух дверей.

В шестидесятых годах модельный ряд значительно расширился, и данная маркировка утратила актуальность. В результате остались те же три цифры, что и в начале, но первая стала обозначать серию, а две последние – литраж двигателя.

BMW с идентификатором Е

Это обозначение стало использоваться в конце 60-х годов для идентификации автомобилей BMW. Как расшифровывается буква Е, до сих пор догадываются немногие. Оригинальное слово на немецком, от которого произошло сокращение, – Entwicklung (в переводе – «развитие»). После буквы стандартно следовали цифры по мере появления новых моделей.

Буква Е широко использовалась для обозначения не только тех автомобилей, которые увидел мир, но и для никому не известных, несколько неудачных или недоработанных проектов, так и не сошедших с конвейера.

Когда числовое обозначение достигло ста, стали использовать идентификатор F как следующую букву по алфавиту. А теперь также выходят автомобили серии G.

В некоторых названиях моделей встречается и буква Z. Используется она для обозначения кабриолетов.

Другие буквенные обозначения, встречающиеся в названии автомобилей

Если буквы E и F используются для названия серии автомобиля, то часто после числовых обозначений можно найти буквы, имеющие совсем другой смысл.

Выбирая машину BMW, как расшифровывается эта маркировка, необходимо знать:

— с – кабриолет;

— CS – аббревиатура для спортивного купе;

— d – дизельный двигатель;

— g – наличие газобаллонной аппаратуры;

— i – инжекторная система подачи топлива;

— e – на автомобиль установлен экономичный двигатель;

— L – указывает на элитный класс автомобиля или наличие удлиненной базы;

— М – использована система, характерная для спорткаров;

— s – упраздненное обозначение спортивного автомобиля;

— ti – упраздненное обозначение хэтчбека;

— td и tds – наличие дизельного двигателя,

— X – используется система полного привода.

Заключение

Одна из самых популярных компаний по производству автомобилей в мире – это BMW. Как расшифровывается эта аббревиатура, в наше время знают немногие, хотя она используется повсюду.

Bayerische Motoren Werke назван хоть и не в честь автомобиля, но продолжает выпускать машины высокого качества с потрясающими техническими характеристиками. В процессе разработки находится очень много моделей, которые наверняка еще станут сенсациями следующих лет и не перестанут приятно радовать любителей комфорта и скорости.

Многие старейшие автомобильные концерны изначально создавались как предприятия, не рассчитанные на выпуск автомобилей. Одни выпускали швейные машинки, другие — велосипеды, третьи — авиамоторы и мотоколяски.

Прошла этот путь становления и знаменитая баварская компания «БМВ». Продукцию автоконцерна украшает фирменный логотип, ставший визитной карточкой бренда. Вокруг появления и значения символики BMW крутится множество мифов.

Давайте вместе разберёмся — что из них правда, а что является красивой легендой.

Как появился логотип BMW

Как и многие автомобильные компании, изначально «БМВ» занималась выпуском авиационных моторов. В своё время самолёты с двигателями BMW считались одними из лучших и ставили множество рекордов.

Со временем, в связи с начавшейся войной, компании пришлось перейти на производство и выпуск наземной техники: мотоциклов, автомобилей. Многие из них по характеристикам не уступали авиационной технике.

Из-за авиационного прошлого бренда многие считают, что значок концерна — это самолётный пропеллер. На самом деле эмблема «БМВ» не имеет никакого отношения к авиации. За появление этого мифа стоит сказать «спасибо» одному из журналов, разместившему официальный знак BMW на фоне авиационного пропеллера.

При помощи полученного изображения журналисты хотели сделать акцент на авиационном прошлом концерна. Хотя авиационная история у компании славная. Ведь лицензированные двигатели ставили даже на советские ТБ-3, и что уж вовсе удивительно − на танки Т-28, БТ-7. Оснащались этими двигателями и самолёты «Люфтваффе» во времена Второй мировой войны. Как известно, в войне Германия проиграла, а позже ей совсем запретили создавать самолёты.

На самом деле история появления эмблемы «БМВ» прозаичнее.

Годом появления символики, которую можно увидеть на фото, считается 1917.

Тогда основатели корпорации искали новую эмблему — они не загадывали наперёд и не мудрили с изображением. За основу был взят фамильный герб одного из основателей концерна − Карла Риппа. Так было решено поступить, потому что именно на мощностях его производства был основан будущий автогигант. На гербе Карла Риппа красовалась голова лошади, обрамлённая круглой рамкой. Голову убрали и заменили на национальный флаг одной из крупнейших земель Германии — Баварии. Получился своеобразный рецепт от немцев по созданию символики:

1. Шаг первый — ищем подходящий фамильный герб и убираем лишнее.
2. Берём флаг, «отзеркаливаем» его.
3. Соединяем флаг и герб.
4. Стильная, запоминающаяся эмблема готова!

Справка! «Отзеркалить» флаг было решено из-за того, что в то время в Германии было запрещено использовать любую государственную символику в качестве рекламы, как инструмент маркетинга и в прочих коммерческих целях.

Что означает аббревиатура BMW

«БМВ» является ярким примером высочайших автомобильных технологий. Каждая модель, выпускаемая концерном, имеет свои запоминающиеся очертания.

Автолюбители ценят BMW за высочайшее качество, яркий дизайн, дерзкий характер.

Как и в случае с символикой, вокруг расшифровки аббревиатуры ходило множество легенд. Стоит признать, маркетологи в компании постарались на славу, создав ауру таинственности вокруг логотипа концерна.

На деле же всё достаточно просто.

На родном языке полное наименование «БМВ» звучит следующим образом: Bayerische Motoren Werke. В переводе на русский — «Баварский моторный завод».

Продукция компании быстро завоевала популярность у автолюбителей и мотоциклистов. В народе полное название быстро сократили до трёх первых букв — BMW. И тут возникла проблема: англоговорящее население называет эти буквы не так, как жители Германии. И вначале это вводило многих в заблуждение. Но сейчас название переводят максимально приближённо к оригиналу — Bavarian Motor Works.

Несмотря на небольшое количество людей, знающих историю символа и значение аббревиатуры, на популярности марки это не сказывается. Ведь автомобили BMW одни из самых популярных в мире.