Bayerische Motoren Werke AG ( pronunciation (helpinfo); English: Bavarian Motor Works),

commonly known as BMW or BMWAG, is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine

manufacturing company founded in 1916. BMW is headquartered in Munich,Bavaria, Germany. It
also owns and produces Mini cars, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW
produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad, and plug-in electric cars under the BMW i sub-brand.
BMW is part of the "German Big 3" luxury automakers, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz, which
are the three best-selling luxury automakers in the world. [3][4]
BMW was established as a business entity following a restructuring of the Rapp
Motorenwerke aircraft manufacturing firm in 1917. After the end of World War I in 1918, BMW was
forced to cease aircraft-engine production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty.[5] The
company consequently shifted to motorcycle production as the restrictions of the treaty started to be
lifted in 1923,[6]followed by automobiles in 192829.[7][8][9]
The first car which BMW successfully produced and the car which launched BMW on the road to
automobile production was the Dixi, it was based on the Austin 7 and licensed from the Austin Motor
Company in Birmingham, England.
BMW's first significant aircraft engine (and commercial product of any sort) was the BMW IIIa inlinesix liquid-cooled engine of 1918, much preferred for its high-altitude performance. [10] With German
rearmament in the 1930s, the company again began producing aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe.
Among its successful World War II engine designs were the BMW 132 and BMW 801 aircooled radial engines, and the pioneering BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet, which powered the tiny,
19441945era jet-powered "emergency fighter", the Heinkel He 162 Spatz. The BMW 003 jet
engine was first tested as a prime powerplant in the first prototype of the Messerschmitt Me 262, the
Me 262 V1, but in 1942 tests the BMW prototype engines failed on takeoff with only the
standby Junkers Jumo 210 nose-mounted piston engine powering it to a safe landing. [11][12] The few
Me 262 A-1b test examples built used the more developed version of the 003 jet, recording an
official top speed of 800 km/h (497 mph). The first-ever four-jet aircraft ever flown, the sixth and
eighth prototypes of the Arado Ar 234 jet reconnaissance-bomber, used BMW 003 jets for power.
The improving reliability of the 003 as 1944 progressed, earmarked it as the required powerplant for
airframe designs competing for the Jgernotprogramm's light fighter production contract, won by
the Heinkel He 162 Spatz design. The BMW 003 aviation turbojet also found itself under
consideration as the basic starting point for a pioneeringturboshaft powerplant for German armored
fighting vehicles in 194445, as the GT 101.[13] Towards the end of the Third Reich BMW developed
some military aircraft projects for the Luftwaffe, the BMW Strahlbomber, the BMW
Schnellbomber and the BMW Strahljger, but none of them were built.[14][15]
By the year 1958, the automotive division of BMW was in financial difficulties and a shareholders
meeting was held to decide whether to go into liquidation or find a way of carrying on. It was decided
to carry on and to try to cash in on the current economy car boom enjoyed so successfully by some
of Germany's ex-aircraft manufacturers such as Messerschmitt and Heinkel. The rights to

manufacture the ItalianIso Isetta were bought; the tiny cars themselves were to be powered by a
modified form of BMW's own motorcycle engine. This was moderately successful and helped the
company get back on its feet. The controlling majority shareholder of the
BMW Aktiengesellschaftsince 1959 is the Quandt family, which owns about 46% of the stock. The
rest is in public float.
BMW acquired the Hans Glas company based in Dingolfing, Germany, in 1966. Glas vehicles were
briefly badged as BMW until the company was fully absorbed. It was reputed that the acquisition was
mainly to gain access to Glas' development of the timing belt with an overhead camshaft in
automotive applications,[16] although some saw Glas' Dingolfing plant as another incentive. However,
this factory was outmoded and BMW's biggest immediate gain was, according to themselves, a
stock of highly qualified engineers and other personnel.[17] The Glas factories continued to build a
limited number of their existing models, while adding the manufacture of BMW front and rear axles
until they could be closer incorporated into BMW.[18]

BMW 3-Series (F30)

In 1992, BMW acquired a large stake in California based industrial design studio DesignworksUSA,
which they fully acquired in 1995. In 1994, BMW bought the British Rover Group[19] (which at the time
consisted of the Rover, Land Rover and MG brands as well as the rights to defunct brands
including Austin and Morris), and owned it for six years. By 2000, Rover was incurring huge losses
and BMW decided to sell the combine. The MG and Rover brands were sold to the Phoenix
Consortium to form MG Rover, while Land Rover was taken over byFord. BMW, meanwhile, retained
the rights to build the new Mini, which was launched in 2001.
Chief designer Chris Bangle announced his departure from BMW in February 2009, after serving on
the design team for nearly seventeen years.[20] He was replaced by Adrian van Hooydonk, Bangle's
former right-hand man. Bangle was known for his radical designs such as the 2002 7-Series and the
2002 Z4. In July 2007, the production rights for Husqvarna Motorcycles was purchased by BMW for
a reported 93 million euros. BMW Motorrad plans to continue operating Husqvarna Motorcycles as a
separate enterprise. All development, sales and production activities, as well as the current
workforce, have remained in place at its present location at Varese.

In June 2012, BMW was listed as the #1 most reputable company in the world by Forbes.com.
[21]

Rankings are based upon aspects such as "people's willingness to buy, recommend, work for, and

invest in a company is driven 60% by their perceptions of the company and only 40% by their
perceptions of their products."