A Short History of BMW
The story of BMW begins in 1913, when Karl Rapp formed the Rapp Motorenwerke company. Engaged in the production of aircraft engines, the firm was located at a former bicycle factory near Munich. Close by, Gustav Otto established his Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG factory. In 1922 the two companies merged in order to form Bayerische Motoren Werke — BMW.
For the few years of its existence, BMW continued to produce aircraft engines and the occasional motorcycle engine. The BMW logo accurately represents a spinning aircraft propeller, carried over from the company’s origins. It was in 1928, when BMW bought a car factory, that they began to produce their first automobiles. Along with their purchase of the factory, BMW also bought the license to a tiny car known as the Dixi. Their first cars were therefore BMW Dixis, although they soon dropped this moniker and introduced a new model, the BMW 3/15 DA-2. The success of this little car is what allowed the company to survive through the great depression that followed.
The type 328 BMW roadster was introduced in 1936 and almost instantly became the most popular car around, going on to become the most successful sports car ever produced. Designed by Fritz Fiedler, the car featured innovative features that made it superior to the cars produced by BMW’s competition — an aerodynamic and aesthetically pleasing shape, a 6 cylinder engine and smooth handling. The 328 racked up some prestigious wins on the racing track, and in 1999 was nominated as car of the century.
BMW experienced a few ups and downs over the next few decades, including shutting down production of cars altogether during the Second World War, but by the 70s the BMW name was well renowned as that of a reliable automobile manufacturer. Today, cars from BMW maintain a high reputation for their quality and reliability, with the company currently taking important steps to reduce environmental impact from their automobiles. You can find BMWs and other famous brands like Honda online at motors.co.uk so if you’re looking for a car be sure to check out their website, you don’t know what may be available!
