BMW |
För att hjälpa dig att hitta den rätta BMW relaterade informationen som du letar efter så har vi skaffat en hängiven hemsida för varje BMW kollektion
|
|
Karl Friedrich Rapp started BMW in 1913 as a manufacturer for aircraft engines called Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke. Gustav Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik was a manufacturer of German aircraft in Milbertshofen Munich and for this reason this would also be the home of BMW.
The now famous round BMW logo in blue and white was designed this way to symbolise the Bavarian flag and the white propeller with a blue sky behind it.
In 1916 Austria-Hungary signed a contract with BMW that would have them supply V12 engines. Rapp would need more money and looked to Camillo Castiglioni and Max Friz for financial support. This partnership would lead to the business name being changed to Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. The business grew beyond its means, this caused problems and Rapp decided to leave BMW in 1917, he was replaced by Franz Josef Popp who was an Austrian industrialist. In 1918 the company was to be renamed again to BMW AG.
BMW had to change its production line to railway brakes in a new factory after the First World War due to the Treaty of Versailles which stated that businesses in Germany were not allowed to produce aircraft.
The Victoria was created in 1919 in Nuremberg, it was a model of motorcycle that would host BMWs first engine.
BMW produced its first ever model of motorcycle called the R32 in 1923 the motorcycle was a 500cc horizontally-opposed engine and air-cooled, this would prove to be a popular style that BMW would continue to use amongst its later models for years to come. The main difference that was so ingenious was to remove the use of a chain and replace it with a driveshaft to move the rear wheel. The BMW motorcycle was famous for this feature and became something of a trademark.
A new production car called the tiny Dixi was introduced in 1927 at Eisenach which led to BMW purchasing the company just one year later this was to be BMW's first car called the BMW 3/15.
Finally BMW were producing their very own vehicles by 1933 this started with the I6 saloons and sports. BMW were producing cars far ahead of their time this included two 2.0 Litre cars called the 327 saloon and 328 roadster.
During the Second World War the BMW motorcycle was used a great deal, the most popular models were the BMW R 12 and the BMW R 75.
One of the biggest suppliers of engines to the Luftwaffe was BMW, the planes used the BMW 801 engine which was very powerful, BMW produced over 30,000 until 1945. The BMW 003 was also produced as a jet engines.
BMW publicly announced that they used almost 30,000 prisoners of war from well know concentration camps to help them keep up with demand during the war. Towards the end of the war the factories were bombed heavily and mostly destroyed.
The first post-war BMW to be produced was a passenger car in 1952 but it failed commercially because they were to expensive to produce such as the BMW 507.
In the late 50's cars like the Isetta were being produced. In 1959 BMW considered selling the whole operation to Daimler-Benz but because of complaints by the workers and trade unions Herbert Quandt changed his mind at the last minute and instead purchased more shares in the company to 50% this became one of the most important turning points in the company.
Later in the year a small car called the BMW 700 was launched it was designed by Giovanni Michelotti. A version of the 700 was created for racing called the RS and it had a more powerful engine this proved to be a great success.
The BMW 1500 was displayed in 1961 at the Frankfurt show, it was sedan that was not just compact but also powerful. The 1500 was BMW's first car to feature the "Hofmeister kink" which is the rear window line and has been a signature design ever since. Two models followed the now labelled "New Class" they were the 1600 and the 1800.
A two door model of the 1600 was produced in 1966 followed by a convertible in 1967, both models were labelled the 02 series, the most popular of these was the 2002 which would be the foundations for the BMW 3 Series.
The "New Six" was launched in 1968 it was a large sedan. Models produced were the 2500, 2800, 2.5 CS and 2800 CS
Finally by the 1970s the BMW brand was successful from a commercial aspect and by 1971 the head quarters were moved to Munich where they still remain in 2008.
The New Class was replaced by the new BMW 5 Series designed by Marcello Gandini in 1972. In 1975 the BMW 3 Series replaced the coupe and in 1977 the BMW 7 Series replaced the New Six, from this the BMW formed the three-tier sports sedan range and this remained well into the 90s. Market demand encouraged the replacement of the CS and the M1 with the BMW 6 Series.
BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994 from British Aerospace this was done to compete in the market of mass production. The brands purchased under this buyout where Land Rover, Rover and Mini but also included the inactive brands Austin, Morris, Riley, Triumph and Wolseley. The purchase proved to be a big mistake and during the six years under BMW ownership the Rover brand was a premium automaker with mass-market capabilities.
BMW had far more success with the Land Rover and Mini brands because they didn't conflict with the line of vehicles it was already producing.
With multiple years of financial losses BMW sold Rover for just £10 to Phoenix Venture Holdings in 2000, Land Rover was then sold to the Ford Motor Company.
BMW held on to the other brands Austin, Morris, Riley, Triumph, Wolseley and most importantly Mini and Rover.
The most success came for the Mini although BMW have yet to use the other brand names.
In the early 2000s, new designs of many vehicles were not received well and the long term damage of this is uncertain despite all the bad press, sales have been increasing every year.
Strangely enough the rear design of the 7-series that was ridiculed is being used in the new Lexus LS and new Mercedes-Benz S-class. Infinity also use the iconic "kink" and the M used on the BMW M-series.
Christopher Bangle was responsible for most of the designs from 2000 including the initial designs of the BMW X5 and the E46 3-series. |
|
|
