History
In 1916 BMW, or the Bavarian Motor Works, rose from the ashes of the Rapp Motorenwerke aircraft manufacturing company. They were forced to stop producing aircraft engines at the end of World War 1 and began shifting their focus to the production of motorcycles. By 1923 the company was manufacturing motors as well.
Major Events
In 1927 the first automobile the company produced was based on designs licensed from the Austin Motor Company in England. The German version of the British Dixi differed only slightly in that it sported a left-hand drive and all of its meters were in metric measurement. The German economy was unsettled due to the reparations owed the allied countries at the end of World War 1 so their entry into the small car market was careful – the first ones off the assembly line were sold as kits; the body styles available were roadster, touring car, coupe and sedan.
In 1928 BMW bought the full rights to build the Dixi and 3/15 horsepower automobiles rolled off the assembly line by the end of the year. Between 1929 and 1931 the number of motorcars produced almost 19,000 BMW 3/15s.
By the 1930s BMW was back manufacturing aircraft engines. Some of the more well-known planes sporting BMW engines during World War 2 were the Heinkel He 162 Spatz, the Junkers and the Messerschmitt Me 262. The Messerschmitt was so successful because compared to Allied fighter planes it was faster and better armed. There were different versions: light bomber, night fighter and reconnaissance planes. Adolf Hitler considered the Messerschmitt Me 262 to be an offensive ground-attack bomber as opposed to its original design as a defensive interceptor. It influenced the designs of many post-war aircraft, including the North American F86 Sabre and the Boeing B-47 Stratojet.
The motorcar manufacturing division of BMW began to have financial difficulties in 1959. They began manufacturing small cars with a modified motorcycle engine. This helped keep costs down and allowed the company to recover.
In 1966 BMW bought the Hans Glas company, mainly to acquire its development of a timing belt and an overhead camshaft. With the new technology, the company produced a line of luxury sedans and sports cars between 1968 and 1977. This brought them into direct competition with Mercedes-Benz, one of the top leaders in the automotive industry at that time. BMW’s reputation was immediately enhanced and then fortified with the production of racecars.
This new line of luxury sedans sported 6-cylinder engines that made the cars impressively maneuverable. Some versions were fuel-injected, 4 speed manual transmissions, 3 speed automatic transmissions while others offered consumers high-powered engines promising lots of speed and sleek designs. They all sported fully independent suspension, four wheel disc brakes, excellent acceleration and plenty of room.
Going Forward
By 1989, BMW was producing automobiles with innovative style and aerodynamic design that had a well-earned reputation for quality and high-performance. They produced only 8,000 Z1 roadsters, the last of which was hand built. The roadster helped generate patents for integrated roll-bars, underbody tray, high-intensity discharge lamps and featured doors that dropped down into the door sills. They were fancy, fast and very expensive automobiles that offered consumers six rich exterior colors and four interior colors: red, black or green with grey interior or light yellow interior, red exterior, swimming pool blue and oh-so-orange.
In 1994 BMW bought the British Rover Group but by 2000 the company was losing money and was sold. The production rights for Husqvarna Motorcycles were purchased in 2007 for the amazing price of 93 million euros. The company has been listed as the most reputable company in the world. BMW AG bought Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited and acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and logo in 1998.
BMW began producing 4-door sedans under the Rolls-Royce brand in 2003. The premium priced Rolls-Royce Phantom series includes a 2-door coupe and a convertible while the less expensive Ghost is a 4-door sedan and the Wraith is a 2-door coupe.
Last year BMW and Toyota confirmed they would be jointly developing two sports cars using more eco-friendly technologies such as fuel-cell systems and light-weight vehicles that would have increased fuel economy.
While no one is really certain exactly what BMW might have up its sleeves, it is certain to be innovative, stylish and infinitely memorable.
