BMW: Difference between revisions

The '''BMW Group''' (legally, '''Bayerische Motoren Werke AG''', commonly abbreviated to '''BMW''' ({{IPA|de|ˌbeːʔɛmˈveː|–|De-BMW.ogg}})), is a German multinational manufacturer of [[luxury vehicle]]s and [[motorcycle]]s headquartered in [[Munich]], [[Bavaria]], Germany. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of [[aircraft engine]]s, which it produced from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945 creating engines for aircraft that were used in the [[World War II|Second World War]].

The [[Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik]] was founded in 1910 by [[Gustav Otto]] in the [[Kingdom of Bavaria]], which was a state of the [[German Empire]]. The firm was reorganized on 7 March 1916 into {{lang|de|Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG}}. This company was then renamed to {{lang|de|Bayerische Motoren Werke}} (BMW) in 1922. However, the name BMW dates back to 1913, when a company to use the name was founded by [[Karl Rapp]] initially as {{lang|de|[[Rapp Motorenwerke]]}}. The name and {{lang|de|italic=no|Rapp Motorenwerke}}'s engine-production assets were transferred to {{lang|de|italic=no|Bayerische Flugzeugwerke}} in 1922, who adopted the name the same year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/BMW-name-meaning-and-history.html |title=BMW name, meaning, and history |publisher=bmw.com}}</ref> BMW's first product was produced for fighter aircraft of the {{lang|de|italic=no|[[Luftstreitkräfte]]}}. It was a straight-six aircraft engine called the [[BMW IIIa]], designed in the spring of 1917 by engineer [[Max Friz]]. Following the end of World War I, BMW remained in business by producing motorcycle engines, agricultural equipment, household items, and railway brakes. The company produced its first motorcycle, the ''[[BMW R32|BMW R 32]]'', in 1923.

The terms Beemer, Bimmer and Bee -em are sometimes used as [[slang]] for BMW in the English language<ref>{{cite book |title=Bee em / BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria Inc |publisher=[[National Library of Australia]] |url=http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3913069 |access-date=23 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728125152/http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3913069 |archive-date=28 July 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite webnews |title=BMWNo InfinityToupees Cars:allowed Authorized|date=2 BMWOctober Dealership Showroom in Mumbai, New Delhi & Indore2009 |url=httpshttp://www.infinity-groupbangkokpost.incom/bmwauto/autoreview/24915/no-toupees-allowed |websitenewspaper=Infinity[[Bangkok GroupPost]] |access-date=2024-10-2524 October 2009}}{{dead link|date=September 2012}}</ref> and are sometimes used interchangeably for cars and motorcycles.<ref name=Lighter1>{{Cite book |title=Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang: A-G |first=Jonathan E. |last=Lighter |publisher=Random House |year=1994 |volume=1 |isbn=978-0-394-54427-4 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/randomhousehisto01ligh/page/126 126–27] |quote='''Beemer''' ''n.'' <nowiki>[BMW + ''er'']</nowiki> a BMW automobile. Also '''Beamer.''' |url=https://archive.org/details/randomhousehisto01ligh/page/126 }}</ref><ref name=Lighter2>{{Cite book |title=Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang: A-G |first=Jonathan E. |last=Lighter |publisher=Random House |year=1994 |volume=1 |isbn=978-0-394-54427-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/randomhousehisto01ligh/page/159 159] |quote='''Bimmer''' ''n.'' <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Beemer.</span> |url=https://archive.org/details/randomhousehisto01ligh/page/159 }}</ref><ref>'''1982''' S. Black ''Totally Awesome'' 83 BMW ("Beemer").<br />'''1985''' ''L.A. Times'' (13 April) V 4: Id much rather drive my Beemer than a truck.<br />'''1989''' L. Roberts ''Full Cleveland'' 39: Baby boomers... in... late-model Beemers.<br />'''1990''' ''Hull High'' (NBC-TV): You should ee my dad's new Beemer.<br /> '''1991''' ''Cathy'' (synd. cartoon strip) (21 April): Sheila... <nowiki>[ground]</nowiki> multi-grain snack chips crumbs into the back seat of my brand-new Beamer!<br />'''1992''' ''Time'' (18 May) 84: Its residents tend to drive pickups or subcompacts, not Beemers or Rolles.</ref>

|+Sales by region (2022)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=BMW AG: Shareholders Board Members Managers and Company Profile {{!}} DE0005190003 {{!}} MarketScreener |url=https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/BMW-AG-56358353/company/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=www.marketscreener.com |language=en}} </ref>

BMW began production of motorcycle engines and then motorcycles after World War I.<ref name="artof">Peter Gantriis, Henry Von Wartenberg. "The Art of BMW: 85 Years of Motorcycling Excellence". MotorBooks International, September 2008, p. 10.</ref> Its motorcycle brand is now known as [[BMW Motorrad]]. Their first successful motorcycle after the failed Helios and Flink, was the "[[BMW R32|R32]]" in 1923, though production originally began in 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reference.com/vehicles/history-bmw-motorcycles-usa-5e17ca6bfcbc7a67?qo=cdpArticles|title=What is the history of BMW motorcycles in the USA?|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824225728/https://www.reference.com/vehicles/history-bmw-motorcycles-usa-5e17ca6bfcbc7a67?qo=cdpArticles|archive-date=24 August 2017|access-date=6 May 2017}}</ref> This had a "[[Flat-twin engine|boxer]]" twin engine, in which a cylinder projects into the air-flow from each side of the machine. Apart from their single-cylinder models (basically to the same pattern), all their motorcycles used this distinctive layout until the early 1980s. Many BMW's are still produced in this layout, which is designated the [[History of BMW motorcycles#R series|R Series]].

* [[BMW 2 Series|2 Series]] two -door coupes (model code [[BMW 2 Series (G42)|G42]]), "Active Tourer" five-seat MPVs ([[BMW 2 Series Active Tourer|U06]]) and four-door "Gran Coupe" fastback sedans (model code [[BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé|F44]]).

* Endurance racing, such as [[24 Hours Nürburgring]], [[24 Hours of Le Mans]], [[24Hours24 Hours of Daytona]] and [[Spa 24 Hours]]

[[File:BMW Leipzig MEDIA 050719 Download Karosseriebau max.jpg|thumb|[[Spot welding]] 3Series3 Series bodies in Leipzig, Germany]]