The BMW name hasn’t exactly been an easy one for many people to wrap their heads around. Some mistakenly believe that the “B” in the name stands for “British” or a myriad of other nations, but the truth is a little less direct than that. BMW is actually a German automaker with over a hundred years of history producing cars, motorcycles, and other types of engines.
Where is BMW Headquartered?
The automaker has its headquarters in Munich, Germany. Since Munich is part of the German state of Bavaria, many people believe that BMW stands for “Bavarian Motor Works,” which is mostly true. The three letters are abbreviations that break down to “Bayerische Motoren Werke” in the original German. The English translation of this name is “Bavarian Motor Works,” but since the company is German, it is more correct to remember it as an abbreviation of three German words, not English ones.
When Was BMW Founded?
The history of BMW goes back to 1916, but they were building aircraft engines back then. Eventually, BMW would be in and out of different industries until it settled primarily on cars and motorcycles after World War II. This makes BMW one of the earlier automotive companies, but not the first.
Where are BMW Vehicles Built?
Although headquarters are in Munich, BMW does have plants elsewhere in the world. BMW motors are built in Asia, South Africa, North and South America, and even the United Kingdom.
What Does the BMW Logo Represent?
Some claim that the BMW logo is made to represent a propeller, but that is another misconception. The blue and white shapes are representative of the flag of Bavaria. The propeller idea is convenient as BMW did produce airplane engines at one point, but the logo is heraldic in nature. The black ring surrounding the blue and white part of the logo is taken from the logo of a company that was absorbed into BMW early on.
