| Karl Friedrich Rapp is the name of the founder of | | | | the ground most of the company located in eastern |
| BMW - one of the biggest world wide car | | | | Germany and the base factory in Munich was almost |
| manufacturing companies. BMW or Bayerische | | | | completely destroyed. |
| Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works) was founded | | | | After the war BMW was not able to quickly recover |
| in 1916 as a successor to the Rapp Motor. | | | | because of the need to rebuild the factory in Munich. |
| Many people think that the logo of BMW comes from | | | | After that when the restrictions from the Allies applied |
| a spinning white propeller seen in the background of | | | | BMW was banned for three long years in which the |
| the blue sky. This may be so but in fact it is known | | | | company was forbidden from producing motorcycles |
| that it also comes from the white and blue flag of | | | | until 1948 and cars until 1952. |
| Bavaria - the largest state of Germany. The capital | | | | In 1951 the Bavarian company was able to regain all |
| city of the state is Munich and this is the place where | | | | trademarks and it looked like it was finally able to |
| even today we can find the BMW Headquarters. | | | | recover and start again from what was left. In 1959 |
| In 1916 with the foundation of the company a contract | | | | Herbert Quandt became the "wheel" which turned the |
| was secured for building V12 engines. These engines | | | | BMW around because he denied a deal with |
| were about to be used in the creation of the | | | | Daimler-Benz and soon after that he increased his |
| automobiles from Austro-Daimler. These 12 cylinders V | | | | share in the BMW Company up to 50%. |
| engines were at first used in aircrafts which is the | | | | The name of Kurt Golda is stated as the man who |
| original plan of the BMW Company. Taking in account | | | | incited Quandt to do this step and in the same year |
| the time when the company was founded it was very | | | | BMW began production of the BMW 700 which was |
| likely for them to continue like that. | | | | based on the BMW 600. This small car used 2-cylinder, |
| However in 1919 after the World War I and the Treaty | | | | air-cooled engines and some years later it was |
| of Versailles the production of aircraft in Germany | | | | renamed to "LS". Coupe and some cabriolet series |
| was prohibited and that quickly changed the politics of | | | | were also manufactured. |
| BMW. They began making brakes for the Rail | | | | In 1963 BMW offered dividends to the shareholders of |
| transport. Soon after that BMW was able to design a | | | | the company and in 1966 the factory in Munich |
| motorcycle engine which was used for the creation of | | | | reached its maximum capacity and BMW bought Hans |
| a motorcycle called with the model name Victoria. | | | | Glas GmbH. This deal enabled BMW to use factories |
| However Victoria was not built by BMW but by | | | | in Landshut and Dingolfing. |
| another company in Nuremberg. | | | | With some new style provided by Bertone in 1972 |
| In 1924 BMW made a model of a motorcycle which | | | | BMW began production of 5 new series and in the |
| was the first one they built - the R32. This was a | | | | years to follow the company made a big progress in |
| turning point in the BMW history because it was a | | | | the market. For 6 years under the leadership of Bernd |
| major achievement and for decades they used its | | | | Pischetsrieder BMW was able to expand its deal in the |
| technology - 500 cc engines cooled down by the air. | | | | market by buying from British Aerospace the Rover |
| Soon after that BMW added one new innovation - the | | | | Group. Rover Group's history starts in 1986 and till the |
| driveshaft. It came to replace the chain for driving the | | | | moment when BMW owned it this company was able |
| rear wheel and became a mark of BMW for quite | | | | to achieve many things like for example the Rover |
| some time. | | | | 400 in 1990. |
| In the German city Eisenach in 1927 began the | | | | However the Rover was sold to Phoenix Venture |
| production of Dixi - under license but only a year after | | | | Holdings and Ford Motor Company because of some |
| that the Dixi Company was bought by BMW and they | | | | years of losses for BMW. Jokingly the press called the |
| began mass production together with the model Austin | | | | Rover "The English Patient" after the release of the |
| Seven. | | | | namesake film. This however was not very hard on |
| When the World War I began BMW took its place in it | | | | BMW and they were spared from taking the blame. It |
| because of the German army's motorized division. | | | | looks like that even the British press was not very |
| They used BMW R75 together with BMW R12. | | | | enthusiastic about the Rover. |
| Because of the high need of engines BMW note that | | | | BMW began production outside of Germany in 1994. |
| period as highly profitable. BMW was the main supplier | | | | New factories were made in South Carolina and even |
| and even today words like Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht | | | | today the manufacturing of BMW X5 and BMW Z4 is |
| brings many memories. Some of the best planes in | | | | made there. There are factories in some other places |
| that historical time used the BMW aero-engines and till | | | | too like Oxford, Goodwood and others. After some |
| the 1945 more than 30 000 planes with these engines | | | | time of assembly BMW began production in South |
| were manufactured. | | | | Africa. Today BMW exports more than 50 000 3 |
| BMW even made researches which enabled the | | | | Series vehicles yearly to Japan, USA, Africa, Australia |
| company to make different jet engines for weapons. | | | | and the Middle East. |
| With the use of some men power consisting mainly by | | | | In order to serve the market in Eastern Europe and |
| prisoners of the war BMW made many rocket-based | | | | Middle East BMW are planning to begin construction of |
| weapons that were used in the war. | | | | a new plant located in Cyprus or Greece. A plant in |
| Soon after the creation of the rocket-based weapons | | | | Chennai, India already opened production in 2007. |
| parts of the company were bombed. Soviets razed to | | | | |