BMW History
The history of the Bavarian Motor Works is a history of innovation, dedication and determination. These achievements are reflected in the BMW emblem, symbolizing a rotating airplane propeller from BMW's early years as an aircraft engine manufacturer. Today, the emblem signifies a global company that annually produces hundreds of thousands of engines, motorcycles, and cars.
Explore BMW history here, from the beginnings to the current time. Click on a year for news from that decade.
BMW 1910's Karl Rapp establishes Rapp-Motorenwerke in a former bicycle factory near Munich. He begins manufacturing his own aircraft engines. They suffer from problems with vibration that Rapp is unable to fix, so he switches to building Austro-Daimler aircraft engines under license.
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BMW 1920's BMW's first motorcycle engineMartin Stolle (center) designs the M2 B 15 engine for the "Victoria" model motorcycle.
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BMW 1930's The air-cooled radial engine is much in demand in the early Thirties, thanks to its excellent power/weight ratio.
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BMW 1940's Made to order: for the Mille Miglia, BMW commissions a streamlined body made of a new, ultra-light aluminum/magnesium alloy.
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BMW 1950's The BMW R 51/2, BMW's first motorcycle with a Boxer engine, goes into production.
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BMW 1960's A best-seller: on July 15, 1960, the 20,000th BMW 700 leaves the factory.
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BMW 1970's Still in the model stage: first step in the construction of the "Four Cylinders," BMW's head office in Munich.
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BMW 1980's Debut for the mass-production Enduro R 80 G/S: this newly styled bike is the first to be equipped with BMW's single swing-arm "monolever". Weight is reduced and maintenance is easier.
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BMW 1990's In 1990: BMW formed a joint venture with the British aerospace company Rolls-Royce PLC to produce aircraft engines for business jets.
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BMW 2000's In 2000, sterling's value has increased by almost 50 percent.
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