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BMW AG (an abbreviation for Bayerische Motoren Werke, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is a German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. In the original German the acronym is pronounced "beh-em-veh". In North America and some other regions, BMW cars are referred to as "bimmers" (also the name of a US publication magazine about the cars) while BMW motorcycles are called "beemers," although the terms are often used interchangeably (and, according to some BMW fans, incorrectly). BMW is the parent company of the Mini and Rolls-Royce car brands, and, formerly, Rover.

History

BMW_building_munich.jpg . BMW bought the company the following year, and this became the company's first car, the BMW 3/15. By 1933 BMW were producing cars that could be called truly theirs, offering steadily more advanced inline 6-cylinder sports and saloon cars. The pre-war cars culminated in the beautiful 327 saloon and 328 roadster, fast 2-litre cars, both very advanced for their time

WWII

BMW was a major supplier of engines to the Luftwaffe and of engines and vehicles, especially motorcyles, to the Wehrmacht. The aero-engines included the 801, one of the most powerful available. Over 30,000 were manufactured up to 1945. BMW also researched jet engines, producing the BMW 003, and rocket based weapons.

The BMW works were heavily bombed towards the end of the war. Of its sites, those in eastern Germany (Eisenach, Dürrerhof, Basdorf and Zühlsdorf) were seized by the Soviets. The factory in Munich was largely destroyed.

Aftermath of WWII

After the war the Munich factory took some time to restart production in any volume. BMW was banned from manufacturing for three years by the Allies and did not produce a car model until 1952.

In the east, the company's factory at Eisenach was taken over by the state-owned Awtowelo group. That company offered "BMWs" for sale until 1951, when the Bavarian company prevented use of the trademarks: the name, the logo and the "double-kidney" radiator grille.

The cars were then branded EMW (Eisenacher Motoren Werke), production continuing until 1955.

In the west, the BAC, Bristol Aeroplane Company, inspected the factory, and returned to Britain with plans for the 326, 327 and 328 models. These plans, which became official war reparations, along with BMW engineer Fritz Fiedler allowed the newly formed Bristol Cars to produce a new, high-quality sports saloon, the 400 by 1947, a car so similar to the BMW 327 that it even kept the famous BMW grille.

bmw.z3.750pix.jpg and the 2+2 model had a sporty look. There was also a more powerful RS model for racing. Competition successes in the 700 began to secure BMW's reputation for sports sedans.

At the Frankfurt show in 1961, BMW launched the 1500, a powerful compact sedan, with front disc brakes and four-wheel independent suspension. This modern specification further cemented BMW's reputation for sporting cars. It was the first BMW to officially feature the "Hofmeister kink", the rear window line that has been the hallmark of all BMWs since then.

The "New Class" 1500 was developed into 1600 and 1800 models. In 1966, the two-door version of the 1600 was launched, along with a convertible in 1967. These models were called the '02' series—the 2002 being the most famous—and began the bloodline that later developed into the BMW 3-series.

In 1968, BMW launched its large "New Six" sedans, the 2500, 2800, and American Bavaria, and coupés, the 2.5 CS and 2800 CS.

By the 1970s, BMW was commercially successful and in December 1971, moved in to its present HQ in Munich, architecturally modelled after four cylinders.

In 1972, the 5-series was launched to replace the New Class sedans, with a body styled by Marcello Gandini. The New Class coupes were replaced by the 3-Series in 1975, and the New Six became the 7-Series in 1977. Thus the three-tier sports sedan range was formed, and BMW essentially followed this formula into the 1990s. Other cars, like the 6-series coupés that replaced the CS and the M1, were also added to the mix as the market demanded.

"The English Patient"

Between 1994 and 2000, BMW owned the Rover Group in an attempt to get into mass market production, buying it from British Aerospace. This brought the Rover passenger car range, the Mini, Land Rover and Range Rover, plus historical names such as Triumph, into BMW ownership.

The venture was not successful. For years, Rover tried to rival BMW, if not in product, then in market positioning and "snob appeal". BMW found it difficult to reposition the English automaker alongside its own products and the Rover division was faced with endless changes in its marketing strategy. In the six years under BMW, Rover was positioned as a premium automaker, a mass-market automaker, a division of BMW and an independent unit.

BMW was more successful with the Mini, Land Rover and Range Rover brands, which did not have parallels in its own range at the time.

In 2000, BMW disposed of Rover after years of losses, with Rover cars going to the Phoenix Consortium for a nominal £1 and Land Rover and Range Rover going to the Ford Motor Company. In the press, Rover and the English work ethic were mainly blamed for the debacle. The German press ridiculed the English firm as "The English Patient", named for a recent film, though BMW itself, protected by its product range's image, was largely spared the blame — even though there were serious marketing issues that brought Rover down. Even the British press was not particularly sympathetic toward Rover.

BMW held on to the Mini and Triumph marques.

Redesign Controversy

In the early part of the 2000s, BMW undertook another of its periodic cycles of redoing the styling design of its various series of vehicles, under the auspices of newly promoted design chief Christopher Bangle. These designs, which were much curvier and 'swoopier' -- a design cue called "flame surfacing" by Bangle -- did not rest well at all with BMW enthusiasts or the automotive press. While Bangle did not pen all of these designs, and has indeed been promoted within the company, some question what long term effect the disaffection of BMW traditionalists for these designs will have on sales, and on the company's future.

Production outside Germany

BMW started producing automobiles at its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant in 1994. Today, the plant manufactures the BMW X5 and BMW Z4 Roadster.

The Spartanburg plant is open six days a week, producing automobiles approximately 110 hours a week. It employs about 4,700 people amd manufactures over 500 vehicles daily.

After a period of local assembly, BMW's Rosslyn, South Africa plant now manufactures cars, with over 70 per cent of its output destined for export. In the mid-1990s, BMW invested R1 billion to make Rosslyn a world-class facility. The plant now exports over 50,000 3-Series cars a year, mostly to the USA, Japan, Australia, Africa and the Middle East.

Starting from October 2003, BMWs are produced in Shenyang, China. BMW has establish a joint venture with Chinese manufacturer Brilliance to build BMW 3 Series and 5 Series vehicles for the local market.

Rolls-Royce

In the early 1990s, BMW and Rolls-Royce Motors began a joint venture that would see the new Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph and Bentley Arnage adopt BMW engines.

In 1998, both BMW and Volkswagen tried to purchase Rolls-Royce Motors. Volkswagen bought the company for £430 million, but BMW outflanked its German rival by acquiring the Rolls-Royce trademark for cars for a fraction of the price (£40 million).

Volkswagen was permitted to build Rolls-Royces at its Crewe factory until 2003 but shifted most of its marketing emphasis to Bentley.

In the meantime, BMW was faced with the need to build a new factory and develop a new model. The new factory at Goodwood produced the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, unveiled on January 2, 2003, and officially launched at the Detroit Auto Show on January 5, 2003.

Models

Current and near future products

The current BMW model line-up is split into what they call "Series", traditionally identified by a single digit - e.g. the 3 Series.

In 2004 BMW announced plans to make odd-numbered models sedans and estates or wagons (BMW calls its estates/wagons Touring models), while even-numbered models will be two-door coupes and cabriolets. This convention started informally in 1976 with the introduction of the 6-Series and later continued in 1989 with the 8-Series, but died off when the latter was discontinued in 1999. This practice was revived as the Z4 replaced the aging Z3 roadster in 2003 and continues as the new 6-Series augments the existing BMW 5-Series.

Coupe versions of the 3-Series sedans have always been named 3-Series vehicles, as well. The company had considered renaming future 2-door derivatives of the 3 Series as 4 Series cars, but this plan has reportedly been shelved.

Bmw3series.jpg , BMW also added the X5 - and in 2004 the X3 - to their model range to capitalise on this growing market. BMW calls its SUV models Sports Activity Vehicles. A possible future V Series will offer MPV practicality for large families, similar to the Renault Scenic.

- 1 Series: a new small car designed to compete with the VW Golf, coming in the fall of 2004 in Europe;Fall 2006 in the USA
- 2 Series: a coupe/convertible based on the 1 Series platform
- 3 Series: the successor to the 2002; a compact high-performance sedan, now in its fourth generation (E43). The fifth generation or the E90 is scheduled to arrive in dealerships across europe in early 2005.
-- M3: initially a race-version of the 3-Series sold to the public for homologation reasons, this model has evolved into a maximum-power, maximum-price touring car
-- X3: a small SUV with emphasis on practicality and affordability
-- Z4: a two-seater roadster that succeeded the Z3
- 5 Series Series: a midsize sports/luxury sedan
-- M5: A high performance version of the 5-Series. The new M5 (E60), which was recently launched, will be powered by a F1-inspired V10 engine.
-- X5: BMW's first SUV (called SAV or Sports Activity Vehicle by BMW)
- 6 Series Series: a large 2+2 GT, available as a coupe or convertible
- 7 Series Series: a full-size luxury car, competing with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, and Jaguar XJ

Out of production

- M1: a 1970s mid-engine sports car, designed in conjunction with Lamborghini
- Z3: a compact two-seater roadster.
-- M coupé and roadster: high-performance hard-top and soft-top versions of the Z3, very popular with enthusiasts
- 8 Series: a fast, high-technology coupe of the 1990s meant to replace the older 6 Series.
- Z1: a late 1980s two-seater with innovative modular construction; only 8,000 were made.
- Z8: flagship sports car; design based on the classic 507 roadster from the 1950s. Only 5000 were built, the last 500 being a special edition built by Alpina but sold directly from BMW.

Classics

BMW made many cars over the years which had a massive impact on the world of motoring.

- Dixi, 3/20, 303, 309, 315, 319, 320, 321, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 335
- Isetta, 501, 502, 503, 507, 600, 700
- 3200 CS, 2000 CS
- New Sixes (2500/2800/Bavaria/2.5/2.8/3.0/3.3) - Predecessor to today's 5-Series
- New Class (1500/1502/1600/1800/1802/2000/2002) - acknowledged as the first modern sports saloon, the successor to which remains BMW's core product even today - the 3 Series

Series Generations

Internally, BMW associates an "e-code" for each generation of a series ("E" stands for Entwicklung, German for development or evolution). These "chassis codes" only change to signify a major redesign of a series, or the introduction of a new series. Traditionally, coupe

- BMW E12 - (1972-1981) 5-series
- BMW E21 - (1975-1985) 3-series
- BMW E23 - (1977-1986) 7-series
- BMW E24 - (1976-1989) 6-series
- BMW E26 - (1978-1981) M1-series
- BMW E28 - (1981-1988) 5-series
- BMW E30 - (1983-1993) 3-series
- BMW E31 - (1990-1999) 8-series
- BMW E32 - (1986-1994) 7-series
- BMW E34 - (1988-1995) 5-series
- BMW E36 - (1990-1999) 3-series/Z3 (as E36/7)
- BMW E38 - (1994-2001) 7-series
- BMW E39 - (1997-2004) 5-series
- BMW E46 - (1998-present) 3-series
- BMW E52 - (2000-2004) Z8-series
- BMW E53 - (2000-present) X5-series
- BMW E60 - (2004-present) 5-series
- BMW E63 - (2004-present) 6-series coupe
- BMW E64 - (2004-present) 6-series convertible
- BMW E65 - (2002-present) 7-series short wheel base
- BMW E66 - (2002-present) 7-series long wheel base
- BMW E70 - future X5-series
- BMW E83 - (2004-present) X3-series
- BMW E85 - (2003-present) Z4-series
- BMW E87 - (2004-present) 1-series
- BMW E90 - future (2005) 3-series

Related companies

- Isetta
- Glas
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited: currently owned by BMW
- Rover: briefly owned by BMW, which retained the Mini after selling off the rest of the company (see MG Rover Group).
- Land Rover: sold to Ford; the current Range Rover was developed mostly by BMW during their ownership of the company and is powered by their 4.4 L V8 engine.
- Mini: a small hatchback; inspired by the 1960s Mini, which was the British equivalent of the Beetle.

Motorsport

BMW.WilliamsF1 Team.png activities since the dawn of the first BMW motorcycle. BMW has competed and won many of the most coveted and prestigious races and motoring events.

- WilliamsF1
- Brabham Racing Organisation
- Team McLaren
- Touring car racing
- Le Mans 24 Hours
- Mille Miglia
- Nürburgring
- Paris Dakar Rally

BMW Motorcycles

BMWbike.jpg engine.

BMW motorcycles tend to be relatively large and heavy, and relaxed and comfortable to ride. All BMW motorcycles except for the F series use shaft drive. (A characteristic of BMW motorcycles since 1923).

In 2004, BMW introduced the new K1200S Sports Bike which marked a departure for BMW. It is both powerful (the engine is a 167bhp unit derived from the company's work with the Williams F1 team) and significantly lighter than previous K models. It was BMW's latest attempt to keep up with the pace of development of sports machines from the likes of Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki.

BMW was one of the earliest manufacturers to offer ABS on production motorcycles.

See also:
- List of automobile manufacturers
- List of Formula One constructors
- BMW films