Bavarian Motor Working: A Visual History of BMW

1916: BMW’s predecessor, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, was founded to build aircraft in Munich. As the business evolved, the focus shifted from complete aircraft to engine construction, and its name was changed to Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1917. By 1918, it had built 500 engines (the occasion for this photo), and in 1919 test pilot Zeno Diemer set an altitude record of 32,021 feet (9760 meters) in an aircraft powered by a BMW inline six-cylinder engine.

1917: The distinctive “roundel” trademark—alternating blue and white segments surrounded by a black ring adorned with bold BMW letters—was created. The common belief is that this badge (the larger image above is from a 1926 motorcycle) represents a propeller spinning against open sky, but that’s a myth. That interpretation didn’t begin until a decade or so later; the company bears some responsibility, having published an advertisement in 1929 (bottom right) reinforcing the message. According to an authority at BMW’s museum, however, the original intention was merely to pay homage to the Bavarian flag (top right image), which has seen several forms but dates to the 13th century, at least.

1923: After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles banned BMW from producing aircraft engines, and the company turned instead to motorcycles. BMW’s first bike, the R32, had a 500-cc two-cylinder boxer engine, built in-unit with the transmission, and shaft drive. These design features are still in use. (For the record, Bimmer describes a BMW car, while Beamer and Beemer are casual names for the brand’s motorcycles.)

1928: To enter the car business, BMW bought the Dixi Automobil Werke, which was building Austin Sevens under license. Two notable BMW firsts—the company’s own inline six-cylinder engine and its kidney-shaped grilles—arrived with a larger 303 two-door in 1933. BMW turned successfully toward high performance with the 328 roadster, introduced in 1936, which won its inaugural race at the Nürburgring and chalked up more than 100 additional victories before World War II, including those won by special aerodynamic-bodied coupes and roadsters.

1939–1945: Under Third Reich orders, BMW ceased car and motorcycle production to concentrate on military aircraft engines. More than 30,000 piston and 500 jet engines were built for the Luftwaffe using forced concentration-camp labor. Acknowledging the deplorable conditions, the company recently stated: “The BMW Group is painfully aware of the great human suffering caused by this, and deeply regrets the fate of the forced laborers.”

1945–1948: With its plants reduced to rubble and a ban on motor-vehicle production imposed by the Allies, BMW initially tried making kitchen utensils and bicycles. Under Soviet authority, car and bike production resumed in eastern Germany. BMW’s six-cylinder engine and its 327 sports car design were seized as reparations for use by Bristol Cars in England. After the U.S. granted permission to resume motorcycle manufacturing in Munich, a single-cylinder BMW R24 was introduced. The first postwar car, the six-passenger 501 luxury sedan, followed in 1952, but few were sold.

1954: Inspired by the Mercedes-Benz 190SL and 300SL show cars of that year, BMW began designing a 507 roadster and a four-seat 503 grand tourer. While they bowed in 1955 and were in production for four years, high prices limited their marketplace success. All the same, the 507 penned by Count Albrecht von Goertz has become a highly regarded collectible.

1955: The Isetta Moto Coupe, produced under license using Iso Rivolta tooling from 1955 through 1962, gained a more enthusiastic reception than did the 503 or the 507. Nicknamed the lion-hearted weasel, this microcar was stretched from its original single-cylinder, single-door, two-passenger configuration into a two-cylinder, two-door, four-passenger BMW. Even though the BMW bubble cars topped the original Mini in packaging efficiency, they were quickly trampled by the Volkswagen Beetle.

In 1959, when the Austin Mini made its debut, BMW was teetering and under threat of a takeover by Daimler-Benz. Wealthy German industrialist Herbert Quandt raised his BMW ownership stake from 30 to 50 percent to maintain the company’s independence. Two of Quandt’s children still own a 30 percent share of the company and hold seats on BMW’s supervisory board.

1960s: In 1961, BMW’s New Class four-door launched at the Frankfurt motor show, combining several tantalizing features: compact exterior dimensions, comfortable room for four, independent front and rear suspension, front disc brakes, and a spirited four-cylinder engine. The first Hofmeister kink was neatly built into the rear roof pillar. The meekly named BMW 1500 sedan progressed to coupe and convertible editions, culminating, in 1968, in the 2002. That car was a hit, promptly returning the company to profitability. Car and Driver praised this fortuitous turn in BMW’s path in our April 1968 issue, in which then senior editor David E. Davis, Jr., heaped biblical praise with his “Turn Your Hymnals to 2002” review.

1970: Former machine-tool engineer Eberhard von Kuenheim commenced a 23-year reign as the BMW Group’s CEO. Summing up what he started with, Kuenheim, now 87, told Automotive News: “We were very provincial. Not a European company, not even a German company. It was a Bavarian company. We had the best chassis, best engine, best handling, but we had no sales organization.” To boost sales volume and revenue, Kuenheim hired fresh blood, formed strong alliances with key suppliers such as Bosch and ZF, greatly expanded manufacturing space beyond the home plant, and bought out foreign-market importers. Kuenheim robbed Bob Lutz from General Motors to become BMW’s executive vice president of global sales and marketing. Working hand in glove, Lutz and Kuenheim orchestrated BMW’s aggressive move upmarket. In 1973, the company’s distinctive new headquarters complex (pictured) opened in Munich. Architect Karl Schwanzer was allegedly inspired by a car engine’s cylinders, although some believe he was mimicking race car tires. During the Kuenheim era, revenue rose by a factor of 18, the number of cars produced quadrupled, and motorcycle production tripled.

1975: John Plant, a car enthusiast working at BMW of North America, coined the succinct phrase “The Ultimate Driving Machine” to describe the BMW 3-series, which made its debut in 1975 and was brought to the U.S. market for 1977. The first 320i coupe cost $8150, weighed 2600 pounds, and carried over rear drum brakes from its predecessor, the 2002. Powered by a 110-hp 2.0-liter inline-four, the E21 3-series needed 10.5 seconds to reach 60 mph.

1980s: Bucking internal and external political strife, BMW Motorsport supplied five Formula 1 teams with an aggressively turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four engine producing 600 or more horsepower. Let the record show nine wins, 14 pole positions, 13 fastest laps, and the 1983 driver’s championship (Nelson Piquet in a Brabham BT52). Not bad for an engine derived from a 1.4-liter production design.

1980s: The enthusiast’s BMW love affair deepened with the introduction of the first M3, powered by a 192-hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder, in 1985. It was the star of the second-generation E30 design. By now the 3-series lineup had grown to include a sedan and a convertible. The powertrain lineup expanded with six-cylinder and all-wheel-drive choices. M5 and M6 models embodying motorsports spirit continued to serve as the stairway to heaven for those serious about performance.

1992: The third-generation E36 3-series ditched the semi-trailing-arm rear suspension in favor of a more sophisticated multi-link design. Car and Driver bestowed its highest praise, a 10Best Cars award—the first in a 23-year win streak. Our test of a 3038-pound 325i sedan reported zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and a 128-mph top speed, with a 24-valve 2.5-liter inline-six providing 189 horsepower.

1994: BMW opened its largest manufacturing plant, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After beginning with 3-series production, followed by Z3/Z4 roadsters, this facility began concentrating on crossover (X3 to X6, plus X7 in the near future) models. In 2013, we visited this factory to test-drive materials-handling equipment powered exclusively by hydrogen fuel cells. In 2015, Spartanburg’s volume topped 400,000 vehicles per annum with an export value nearing $10 billion.

1994: As successful as Spartanburg became, a second BMW venture in the same year was less fruitful: the purchase of Great Britain’s Rover Group, encompassing Land Rover, Rover, MG, and Mini plus the dormant Austin, Morris, Riley, Triumph, and Wolseley brands. After six years of losses, all but Mini, Riley, and Triumph were sold off for peanuts. In 2001, the Mini brand was re-energized with a new range of BMW-designed models.

1998: A catfight erupted when BMW and Volkswagen both vied for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ assets (including Bentley) when they were offered for sale by the parent company, which had decided to focus on the aircraft-engine business. VW thought it had won out when it bought the auto-manufacturing business, only to discover that BMW had separately secured rights to the Rolls-Royce logos and trademarks. Years later, after the fur settled and the lawyers all had new vacation homes, VW took over Bentley and the Crewe, England, manufacturing plant, while BMW installed the double-R brand in a spanking-new facility 200 miles to the southeast in Goodwood, England.

2000: Returning to the pinnacle of motorsports at the turn of the new century, BMW supplied naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V-10 engines that powered the Williams Formula 1 team to nine victories. After purchasing the Sauber team in 2005 and building new 2.4-liter V-8 engines, BMW scored a one-two finish at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld.

2002: The terms “flame surfacing” and “Bangle butt” joined the automotive lexicon, one decade after U.S.-born Christopher Bangle became BMW’s design chief in 1992. The former term, which Bangle claims not to have coined, refers to the use of multiple compound curves in a fender or door panel. On Bangle’s watch, BMW’s fourth-generation 7-series, introduced for the 2002 model year, was burdened with two controversial features: one inside the cabin, one at the rear of the car. The first was iDrive, a console-mounted round knob serving as a mouse to control numerous car settings and infotainment functions. This well-intentioned attempt to cut down on the spread of knobs and buttons throughout the interior is accepted today, but iDrive required both acclimation time and design adjustments to earn customer approval. The second controversy centered on the seeming sculptural mismatch between the 7-series’ rear fenders and its decklid. Even though both Hyundai and Maybach had previously used similar styling cues, many self-appointed critics attacked Bangle and BMW mercilessly. Writing for Time magazine, Car and Driver contributor Dan Neil placed the 2002 7-series on his 50 Worst Cars of All Time list. That didn’t stop this BMW from outselling the three previous 7-series generations.

2010: BMW teamed with the German textile maker SGL to build a $100 million factory in Moses Lake, Washington, to manufacture carbon-fiber tow (50,000 strands of fiber spun together into a thin, strong rope). This location’s attraction is hydropower—affordable, sustainable electricity generated by Columbia River water flowing through the Wanapum Dam. Following two expansions and an additional $200 million investment, this facility is now the largest of its kind in the world, with an annual capacity of 9000 tons, roughly one-fifth of the total global demand for carbon fiber. The company’s official word is that this material—which is one-third the cost of carbon fiber produced by others—is solely for BMW’s use. But, with further expansion, Moses Lake could conceivably serve other aerospace and automotive users.