1) BMW Originally Manufactured Aircraft Engines
BMW is a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles. But this was not the original purpose of the company.
When the company was founded it manufactured engines for planes. During World War I there was a huge demand for engines for warplanes. The BMW 003 was the world’s second successful axial-flow turbojet engine. Their aircraft engines became well-known in the world for their high-altitude performance and fuel efficiency. Until 1945, they continued to manufacture airplane engines, but they still design train and airplane interiors. The popular fighter pilot “Red Baron” described that the BMW aircraft engines were the greatest engines in World War I.
2) The Treaty of Versailles is the Reason BMW Began Making Cars
The Treaty of Versailles was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. The Treaty of Versailles was an important step in the status of the British Dominions under international law.
It banned German companies from producing both warplanes and engines for warplanes. For this reason, the company shifted its focus to motorcycles before beginning car production in 1929. Because of the Treaty of Versailles, they began to manufacture cars otherwise the history of BMW would be a different story.
3) BMW Owns Rolls-Royce
In 1998, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited was created as a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW.
After BMW licensed the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand name and logo from Rolls-Royce Holdings plc and acquired the rights to the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks from Volkswagen AG. BMW took over Rolls-Royce and produced their first car named “Rolls-Royce Phantom”. It often surprises people that one of the top British car brands is now manufactured by a German company. BMW and Rolls-Royce have shared many joint business ventures.
4) The Headquarters is Designed Like a BMW Four-Cylinder Engine
The BMW Headquarters also known as the BMW Tower is a high-rise building located in the Am Riesenfeld area of Munich, Germany. The Tower consists of four vertical cylinders standing next to and across from each other. It represents the shape and design of BMW’s famous four-cylinder engines.
The Tower has a diameter of 52.30 meters (171.6 ft) and has 22 occupied floors, two of which are basements and 18 of which serve as office space. It is one of the most unique designs of headquarters in the world. The Headquarters is designed by the popular architect “Karl Schwanzer”. The BMW Museum is located right next to the tower. In 1977, the building was seen in the movie ‘Suspiria’.
5) The Colors Used in the Logo Represent Bavaria
The logo of BMW consists of a black circle with the interior quartered and the sections within are an alternate blue and white.
The symbol was designed and the colors were chosen to represent the colors of Bavaria. Blue and white are the national colors of Bavaria. It is not just a logo but an emotion for every car lover.
6) BMW Created an Electric Car in 1972
BMW developed its first electric car based on the 1602 model. The BMW 1602 Elektro-Antrieb was first unveiled at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.
The 1602 Elektro-Antrieb used one 32 kW (43 hp) electric motor, front-mounted driving the rear axle. During that time the company claimed a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The battery has a total capacity of 12.6 kWh electric vehicle battery these batteries can be charged or replaced with a freshly charged pack.
7) BMW Gave Away A New Car As An April Fool’s Joke
The BMW Newmarket dealership put an advert in the New Zealand Herald saying “April Fools Day Special” be the first person to bring your car, along with this coupon, and take a brand new BMW car.
Everyone thought that its an April Fool’s day prank from BMW. But Tianna Marsh and her friend went to the dealership expecting to be offered a toy car in exchange for her 15-year-old Nissan Avenir. Instead of being pranked, she was given a BMW 1 Series by the manager with the car’s number plate “NOF00L”.