This is the history of 100 years of BMW

Posted on 07-03-2016 at 11:35 by autoblogger – 60 Comments”

Time for a bit of history.

BMW, or full-Bayerische Motoren Werke, was established in 1913 by Karl Friedrich Rapp founded as a factory for aircraft engines. Ok, but that would still mean that BMW three years ago celebrated its centenary? Not so, since BMW the year 1916 as the official founding date is considered. In 1922, came to BMW in the hands of Bayerische Flugzeug Werke, that in 1916 was established.

Not as a car maker started
BMW has quite a history and did in both the first and the second world war is good business, but not always in the field of cars. In the first world war, the company was already a major supplier of aircraft engines. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) forbade German companies, however, to planes to build, making it hard to survive. When is the BMW in 1922 officially Bayerische Motoren Werke going to be called, and is the engines. Also, the logo, as we know now from this year. It is sometimes assumed that since the logo also comes from. A white propeller in the blue sky. However, it is much simpler: these are the colours of the Bavarian flag. The brand during the second world war, a large supplier of aircraft engines to the Luftwaffe is a painful piece of history and remember BMW like as soon as possible. BMW is only in the 1928 cars, and this is clearly a good move.

BMW as a car manufacturer
Since 1928, makes BMW so cars, and it is in Eisenach began with the licensed production of the Dixi. No, not the toilets, but a very compact car. It was nothing less than an Austin Seven each in license built by the Germans. The Austin Seven proved in England to be a big hit because it met the rising demand for affordable transportation. The first series of Dixi’s were nothing less than ready-made kits which BMW just screwed. After this series had BMW been so much raised, that they with their own interpretation of the Seven came, the 3/15. Yes, the last number stands for the number of kicking horses the 750cc very transistor manages to mobilize. After this it is continued with the production of cars. From 1933, the first real own cars. BMW already started with premium before the cool was, and was known for the sporty models with strong engines, although more modest cars are always of interest have been to actually numbers to be able to make.

In 1923, launches BMW and their motorcycle division, what we can now as BMW Motorrad. The first engine had an engine block with cylinders opposite one another and the drive was via shaft drive, not with a chain. At the time, revolutionary, now, it is still applied to the extremely popular BMW R1200 series. BMW likes to keep himself to traditions.
This is evident with the BMW 303, which is perhaps the first true BMW. Not so much because of the looks and the chassis, because that was actually the development of the Dixi. However, it was the first BMW with a six cylinder in-line engine and the first BMW with the characteristic kidney like grille. A completely own design will come with the BMW 326, this is a lot more modern than the 303. On the basis of the 326 comes BMW with its first serious sports car, the 328. Just as the current 328 has this lightweight sports car with a 2.0 liter engine. This car wins in 1938, the Millie Miglia and Le Mans in its class, and in 1940 the overall profit on the 1000 mile race in Italy. Average speed: above 160 km/h…

After the war
At that moment, breaks the Second world War broke out and see BMW is forced aircraft engines and motorcycles to produce for the army. More than 25,000 concentration camp prisoners were ‘in service’. Again, a period in which the brand embarrasses. After a short ban (2 years) to motor vehicles to make doodling BMW back up again with the construction of their models. A new direction is decided to be a competitor of the Mercedes 220, the development of the BMW 501, the first BMW with a V8. Also here are several versions of it, but the most beautiful and most significant is the 507. Not only was this a spectacular sports car, it was almost the downfall of BMW. The development arose on the pan, and the 507 was, therefore, much more expensive than planned. Only 252 units were built, including one for Elvis Presley.

BMW knew fortunately still a bit to generate revenue with the BMW’s isetta, a BMW-version of the Iso Rivolta’s isetta, but many could not avail. The margins on’s isetta were too small, while the 500 series of bad sold. It’s so bad, that BMW proposes to move over by Daimler-Benz, the intended competitor. However, the family Quandt crosses a stop to it and increase their share to 75%, giving it control of BMW, to the day of today. And it went excellent. To temporarily the head above water to keep launching the BMW 700 series. A simple car with the boxerblok of a motorcycle, with beautiful koetswerkjes of Michelotti. The same Michelotti was together with Hofmeister responsible for the 1500, the first scion of the ‘New Class’ of BMW’s. This series of cars are actually the basis for the BMW’s as we know them now, such as the popular 3 Series (from 1975) and 5 Series (from 1972). Sporty medium cars, slightly higher in the market. Used slogan: “Freude am Fahren”.

BMW was not only saved, but would from that time mark. Particularly in motorsport, where BMW are sporty image can increase. On the advice of Executive Vice President Bob Lutz (yes, yes), BMW Motorsport was founded. The vision of Lutz, was that a separate division as switch between street and race cars the brand a sportier regard would give. Sir was right. Motorsport has BMW really big, and this is all those years of a kind of USP of the BMW remained. Now hear Rolls-Royce and MINI by BMW (they are even a number of years, owner of Rover, but BMW sells the most of its own models. In 2014, BMW as a company for the first time the border of the two million produced cars in a year managed to pass.

The future
BMW is today, still growing fast, however, one sees that they with the time should go and that “i” models are the result. The changes will, however, further than that, and BMW is (like the other big brands) among other things, with self-propelled cars. Gaap.

If you have the cars that BMW today compares with the cars that are about 70 to 80 years ago, then you will see a big difference. If you have the cars (if you then still can call them that) that BMW is about 70 to 80 years will compare with the cars that BMW today, you will probably have a much larger difference. With an annual turnover of around eighty billion euros, and a profit for the year that the almost six billion is tapped, it seems BMW is a good course to follow.

BMW will be today in the Olympiahalle in Munich its 100-year anniversary celebration. Unfortunately, they have shown this not to celebrate with a special supercar, what to us is a bit silly it seems. Maarrr, we just saw an i-like teaser in the past, including the following text: “The company has continually evolved and, in some cases, reinvented itself. That will continue in the future.”

Gallery below: just some classics from BMW’s rich past.

UPDATE: and yes, this is BMW’s Concept Vision Vehicle.

Gallery: BMW classics

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