BMW, formally known as Bayerische Motoren Werke << BY ehr ish eh moh TOHR ehn vehr keh >> AG or BMW Group, is a multinational corporation that manufactures automobiles , motorcycles , and engines . BMW produces some of the world’s best-selling luxury cars, including the BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce brands. It is one of Germany’s “Big 3” luxury automakers, along with Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
BMW, which stands for Bavarian Motor Works in English, was founded in 1916 through a merger of two companies. Karl Rapp’s Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) made engines, and Gustav Otto’s Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke AG (BFW) manufactured aircraft. In 1922, BMW transferred its engine construction operations, including the company and brand names, to BFW. BMW built its first motorcycle in 1923. It began to manufacture automobiles in 1928.
During World War II (1939-1945), BMW was classified as a German armaments and war materials manufacturer. It built aircraft engines for the German air force, known as the Luftwaffe . Convicts, prisoners of war , prisoners from concentration camps , and other laborers were forced to work at BMW factories under harsh conditions during the reign of the German dictator Adolf Hitler .
After the war, Allied soldiers occupied the BMW plants. The Allies consisted of The United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France. The U.S. military ordered the dismantling of plants in Munich and Allach, Germany. A large number of the machines in Munich were taken apart and shipped all over the world as reparations (compensation) for war damages. BMW was banned from producing motorized equipment. To survive, the company produced pots, pans, and bicycles.
In 1947, BMW was given permission to produce its first vehicle after the war, a motorcycle that appeared on the market in 1948. In 1952, the company built its first post-war automobile. The 501 luxury car restored the company’s status as a manufacturer of high-quality cars.
To supplement slow sales of its luxury cars, in 1955, BMW began manufacturing the Isetta microcar. It became the top-selling, single-cylinder car in the world, though it was not sold in the United States. Nevertheless, its profit margin was slim. By 1959, BMW was on the verge of bankruptcy . The company recovered in the early 1960’s and expanded with other popular brands.
In the mid-to late-1990’s, BMW acquired Rolls-Royce, the luxury brand of motorcars, and the popular MINI brand that includes the MINI Cooper. BMW has manufacturing plants in a number of countries, including China, Egypt, India, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The company’s headquarters is in Munich, Germany.
