BMW has its headquarters in Germany, in Munich. The company is listed in the DAX and can look back on a long company history. It began in 1913 with Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH. This was founded by Messrs. Dörhöfer from Berlin and Schneeweis from Chemnitz. A little later, in 1916, the name BMW GmbH was used for the first time, which was followed by the conversion to an AG. In 1923, the first motorcycle was developed in the main plant in Munich, after having primarily built aircraft engines. By taking over the vehicle factory in Eisenach, the company developed into an automobile manufacturer. After the end of the Second World War, the company was almost on the verge of collapse. The main plant was bombed and vehicle production was in the Soviet zone. The people of Eisenach were forbidden to produce the BMW car brand.
After the threatened takeover by Mercedes had just been averted at the end of the 1950s, the brand went steadily uphill. This was thanks in particular to the BMW Isetta, an inexpensive and practical scooter that catapulted the group back out of the red and still has a loyal fan base around it to this day. The subsequent 700 series should also strengthen BMW's position in the small car class and later also be a harbinger of the coming "new" 1500 middle class. To date, BMW has built numerous other classics, such as the BMW M1 designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, or the 3 series introduced at the same time, with which the company has achieved its highest number of units to date.
With the introduction of the X series in the late 1990s, BMW showed a keen sense of the emerging popularity of SUVs, which are still shaping the streets like no other class of vehicle. When it comes to alternative drive systems, BMW has also continuously delivered innovations such as the BMW i3 or the attractively futuristic BMW i8, which has also been available as a roadster since 2018.
Together with the MINI, BMW and Rolls-Royce brands, the carmaker strikes a chord with every driver and offers a wide range of products, from small cars to premium luxury limousines, offering just the right thing for every taste.
And BMW also has a real highlight to offer for all hobby motor sports enthusiasts. During a racetrack training course, anyone interested can get to know the fast side of the fascination of BMW with exciting driving exercises. On racetracks like the Nürburgring, every interested driver can experience for themselves what it means to experience top speeds under ideal conditions and to feel almost limitless.
The logo of BMW as a car manufacturer is known all over the world. It has its origins in Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH and is provided with a sign language. A black ring bears the initials of Bavarian Motor Works. In the past there was a knight figure in the round central field, as can be found in a chess game. Today there is a four-part circle in the colors blue and white, the state colors of the Free State of Bavaria. Here the company had to use a trick, because private companies are not allowed to advertise with the national colors. So instead of the typical white-blue color, the order here is in blue and white. The logo was first used in 1918 on an aircraft engine. It was first used on a vehicle in 1923.
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