German luxury automobile and motorbike manufacturer Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, often known as BMW, is a worldwide company with headquarters in Munich, Bavaria. The company was established in 1916 to manufacture airplane engines, which it did so between 1917 and 1918 and once again between 1933 and 1945.
Motorcycles are sold under the brand BMW Motorrad, whereas automobiles are marketed under the brands BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce. With a total production of 2,279,503 automobiles in 2017, BMW ranked as the fourteenth-largest automaker in the world. Especially in touring vehicles, sports cars, and the Isle of Man TT, the firm has a long history in motorsport.
Germany, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States are among the countries where BMW builds cars. BMW's corporate headquarters are in Munich. Following investments made by the Quandt brothers in 1959, which prevented the firm from going bankrupt, the Quandt family has been a long-time stakeholder of the business (the remainder shares are held by the public float).
BMW Automotive Brand History
The official founding date of the German automaker BMW is March 7, 1916, the same day that Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (formerly Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik) was established. Bayerische Motoren Werke became the new name of this business in 1922. But Bayerische Motoren Werke was originally known as Rapp Motorenwerke until it changed its name in 1917. The BMW IIIa inline-six aircraft engine served as the brand's debut offering. The vehicle firm continued to operate after the First World War was over and produced railway brakes, home items, agricultural equipment, and motorcycle engines. In 1923, the business manufactured the BMW R32, its first motorbike.
In 1928, the business acquired Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, which produced the Austin Sevens under license (under the Dixi brand). Sports vehicles and bigger luxury automobiles were added to the brand's product lineup throughout the 1930s.
The company's primary products up to the Second World War would be motorcycles, cars, and aircraft engines. In opposition to the desires of its director, Franz Josef Popp, brand concentrated on the manufacturing of aircraft engines throughout the war, with the production of motorbikes serving as a supplementary industry. Heavy bombing of car manufacturer facilities occurred throughout the conflict, and the surviving West German industries were forbidden from manufacturing automobiles or airplanes thereafter. Once again, the firm made a living by making bicycles, pots, and pans. Motorcycle manufacture by the business was restarted in 1948. With the release of the BMW 501 luxury sedan in 1952, the car manufacturer restarted vehicle manufacturing in Bavaria. With the introduction of the more affordable Isetta microcar, which received a license in 1955, the selection of vehicles was increased. The firm was in significant financial problems by 1959 and was on the verge of being taken over by competitor Daimler-Benz due to slow sales of luxury vehicles and poor profit margins from microcars. The firm was able to continue as a distinct corporation because to Herbert Quandt and Harald Quandt's significant investment in it.
German entrepreneur and well-known figure Günther Quandt was Quandt's father. In 1933, Quandt joined the Nazi party and went on to amass wealth by providing weapons and batteries for the German Wehrmacht. Their Jewish owners had several of their enterprises taken away from them under pressure and with little recompense. A total of 50,000 slaves were employed throughout at least three of their enterprises. A concentration camp replete with gallows was located within one of the battery plants. Workers had a six-month life expectancy. Although there was no direct connection between the Quandt family and BMW during the war, Herbert Quandt was able to purchase the business thanks to money his father had saved up when Germany was under the Nazis.
The BMW New Class compact sedans were introduced in 1962, and this was when the company first gained recognition as a top producer of performance vehicles. The automobile manufacturer added coupe and luxury sedan models to its lineup in the 1960s. The 3 Series compact sedans, the 6 Series luxury coupes, and the 7 Series big luxury sedans were all released after the 5 Series midsize sedan series in 1972.
A mid-engine supercar was the first road vehicle the M division ever released. The M5 and M3 came after it, respectively, in 1984 and 1986. The first V12 engine was also launched by the business in 1986, in the 750i premium car.
In 1994, the business purchased the Rover Group, but the buyout failed and resulted in enormous financial losses for the automobile manufacturer. It sold the majority of the Rover brands in 2000, leaving just the Mini. The Rolls-Royce brand's rights were purchased by a car firm in 1998.
In 1995, the BMW Z3 added a two-seater roadster to its inventory, and in 1999, the brand entered the SUV market with the BMW X5.
The majority of engines moved to turbocharging during the next ten years after the introduction of the first series-production turbocharged petrol engines in 2006. The first hybrid vehicle was the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7, and the i3 city car, which debuted in 2013, was BMW's first electric vehicle. The company's first front-wheel-drive vehicle was the 2014 BMW 2 Series Active Tourer multipurpose vehicle, which came after years of developing a reputation for sporty rear-wheel-drive vehicles (MPV).
HQ for the BMW Car Brand
A tall structure in the Am Riesenfeld neighborhood is the BMW Headquarters, popularly referred to as the BMW Tower. Germany's Munich Since 1973, this structure has housed the German automaker's worldwide corporate headquarters. It was classified as a historic structure in 1999 and is often cited as one of Munich's most outstanding instances of contemporary architecture. Large-scale renovations started in 2004 and ended in 2006.
The skyscraper was constructed between 1968 and 1972, and it was completed in time for the Summer Olympics in 1972. On May 18, 1973, it officially opened. The company's primary facility and Olympiapark are both close by the 101-meter (331-foot) skyscraper. It is anticipated that the Museum building would resemble a cylinder head and that the outside of the tower will resemble an automobile engine with four cylinders. Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer created both structures.
Four vertical cylinders that are facing each other and standing side by side make up the tower. A mold on the front divides each cylinder in the middle horizontally. These rollers in particular hang from a main support tower rather than standing on the ground. Individual floors were positioned on the ground during construction, then lifted. The tower has a diameter of 52.30 meters (171.6 feet) and 22 stories, of which two are basements and 18 are used as offices.