Classic BMW history

The BMW name stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. BMW was created in 1917 from the Munich firm Rapp-Motorenwerke.

In August 1918, Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH became a stock corporation.

After the company was sold to Knorr Bremse AG in 1920, financier Camillo Castiglioni acquired engine production along with the workforce and production facilities, the company name and the blue and white logo.

BMW AG subsequently transferred its engine construction operations – including the company and brand names – to BFW in 1922.

BMW revealed its first motorcycle, the R 32, in 1923.

Starting in 1933, aircraft construction in Germany received substantial financial support from the government.

There’s the gorgeous and one of a kind yellow 507 painted to match a favorite scarf of the owner’s wife next to the famous replica of the 1939 328 that BMW created a few years back.

By 1941, the plant had been significantly expanded for industrial production of aircraft engines.

From 1945 onwards “stopgap” production, mainly of household appliances, was started in Milbertshofen - as was also the case at the Berlin plant.

BMW's first post-war automobile was the 501, built from 1952 onwards.

BMW presented the 1500 model at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show, and with it, fills a gap in the market.

Back in 1971, Lee Maas, an automotive enthusiast and manager of Rodger Meier Cadillac and Friendly Chevrolet, noticed that there were no dealerships in Dallas selling BMWs.

The new building complex was officially opened on 18 May 1973.

In 1986, BMW AG brought together all research and development work under one roof at the Forschungs- und Innovationszentrum (Research and Innovation Centre, or FIZ) in Munich.

One of the first major projects for BMW Technik GmbH was the Z1 Roadster, which entered series production in 1988.

The facility was officially opened on 27 April 1990.

In early 1994, the Board of Management, supported by the Supervisory Board, decided to purchase the Rover Group in the United Kingdom to expand its range of models.

In July 1998, BMW acquired a piece of automotive history.

The Eberhard von Kuenheim Foundation was established in 2000 in honour of Eberhard v.

After an intense development phase, Rolls-Royce unveiled the new Phantom in 2003.

The BMW Welt opened on the site to the west of the BMW Tower in October 2007.

In September 2009, the new Rolls-Royce Ghost heralds the arrival of a second model family.