The LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, recently had a special display on BMW. According to the museum’s display:
“BMW began in 1916 when aircraft engine manufacturer Rapp Motorenwerke became Bayerishe Motorenwerke and adopted the Bavarian flag inspired blue and white roundel. The company was acquired by rival Bayerische Flugzeugwerke after WWII and adopted the BMW name.”
During World War I, the company made aircraft engines. BMW’s business changed after World War I. The chief designer, Max Fritz, realized that motorcycle production was critical to the company’s future. Fritz, a mechanical engineer who had started his career at Daimler in 1906, designed the Boxer engine that powered BMW’s first motorcycle, the R32. BMW motorcycles continue to use the Boxer engine with longitudinally positioned cylinders and shaft drive.
BMW started making motorcycles in 1919 and automobiles in 1928. Originally, BMW built automobiles under license from the Austin Motor Co. BMW began building cars of its own design in 1932.
During World War II, BMW built aircraft engines for the German air force. Like other German companies during the war, BMW used convicts, prisoners of war, and Western European forced laborers as well as concentration camp prisoners. Today, the company says:
“BMW is painfully aware of the great human suffering caused by this, and deeply regrets the fate of the forced laborers.”
Following the War, BMW was classified as an armaments company and the Allies removed much of its production equipment. BMW returned to motorcycle production in 1948 with its R24 model. In 1952, BMW resumed its automobile production with the 501, a six-seater.
In 1994, BMW purchased the United Kingdom’s Rover Group, which included the brands Land Rover, Rover, MG, Triumph, and Mini. The move was not successful and in 2000, BMW sold the Rover Group, retaining only the Mini brand.
In 1998, BMW acquired the brand and naming rights for Rolls-Royce cars.
Shown below are some of the BMW automobiles from this special display.
BMW E30 M3
This car has a top speed of 143 mph and can go from 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds.
BMW 1M
BMW 327/28
Only 88 of these cars were produced. It has a top speed of 78 mph.
Frazer-Nash BMW 328
EMW 327-2 Roadster
This was manufactured in East Germany with tooling seized after World War II by the Soviets.
1958 BMW Isetta 300, 1-DoorCoupe
BMW acquired a license from the Italian manufacturer Iso Rivolta to produce Isettas.
BMW Isetta 300
This car sold new for $1,078 and had a top speed of 53 mph. A total of 161,360 were produced.
BMW 3.0 CSL
BMW 3.0 CS
This model was sold in the US from 1970 to 1974. It has a top speed of 124 mph.
1959 BMW 507 2dr Roadster
BMW Z8 Alpina
A total of 450 of these cars were produced for the U.S. market.
BMW Z8
BMW 2002 Turbo
BMW M6