How old is bmw company

BMW's first post-war car was the , built from A large sedan capable of seating up to six people, it was powered by an evolution of the six-cylinder engine used in the pre-war BMW Although not a commercial success, this luxury model restored BMW's status as a manufacturer of high-quality, technically exciting cars.

BMW presented its model at the German Motor Show, filling a gap in the market in the process. Believe it or not! Fast forward to the end of the war, and BMW remained in business, producing motorcycle engines, farm equipment, household items and railway brakes. BMW was already making a name for itself and being linked to greatness, as this motorcycle set a world speed record that remained unbroken until In , BMW was able to produce its first car since the war — a large saloon vehicle that sat comfortably up to six.

While it was designed for the luxury market, this car did not succeed. BMW resumed its car production in Bavaria in with the BMW luxury saloon, and then went on to expand its range of cars in In fact, by , the company was on the verge of bankruptcy and nearly taken over by rival Daimier-Benz. This is where its history takes an upswing.

It was in that same year that BMW pulled out of its financial slump, with German entrepreneur Herbert Quandt acquiring a controlling interest in the firm and BMW launching its series, followed by the equally successful and sought after models. If that was not enough to kickstart the company, BMW introduced a new series of motorcycles that were extremely popular in the United States, and still are to this day!

Throughout the s, BMW continued to expand its range, adding coupe and luxury sedan models to its line up. In , BMW moved to its new and its current headquarters in Munich, a truly unique building based on a four cylinder engine. In , BMW began its first metamorphosis when it expanded from manufacturing airplane engines to motorcycles.

This change was a big step for the company. Before the transition, BMW had only produced engines as a standalone part. Now, they were manufacturing an entire vehicle. They announced that their first motorcycle would be called the R The design was considered to be so efficient that the original concept is still used to this day in modern day BMW motorcycles. After their purchase of Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, the third largest automobile manufacturer located in Germany at the time, BMW began working on their first car.

BMW found the inspiration for their first manufactured automobile from a borrowed design from the Austin Motor Company. BMW would rely on such methods until , where they used their own models to build a vehicle unique to their brand.

Most manufacturing plants in Germany had come directly under the control of the government after the invasion of Poland by the Nazis. During this period, BMW dedicated all of its time and resources to producing aircraft and motorcycles for the German military. WWII brought out a darker side in all parties involved. BMW was no exception. The war efforts required massive amounts of material to be manufactured and shipped to the front lines.

To keep up with the ever constant production demands of the military, BMW began to hire foreign workers in Most of the men in Germany had been drafted into the army leaving open factory positions that were quickly filled by the foreign workers. These men labored alongside prisoners from various Nazi concentration camps. The factory conditions could only be described as horrid.

Efficiency was all that mattered, and everything else was considered secondary. That included humane working conditions. Once the Nazi regime was defeated, the Allied forces dismantled all of BMW's plants due to their role in producing war materials.

Nearly ruined and almost out of options, BMW began to manufacture pots, pans, and other kitchen utensils to keep themselves afloat. With no plants and no influence over any of its operations in Germany until , BMW would have to do everything they could to stay in business.

The result? Over , units are sold, transforming the Isetta into a symbol of the post-war decade. Besides coming up with newer models and bending technological improvements on their cars, BMW also held a privileged position among race winners around the world. After the development of the and models, BMW unleashed a shout of childish joy, grabbing an impressive win in the Austrian GP, through Ernst Hiller. With the help of Herbert Quandt, BMW, still a share-owned company, is brought one step closer to independence.

Exterior offers of selling or fusion were turned down despite the enormous profits such a transaction would have led to. The model entered the production lines, together with the R69, BMW's top motorcycle line-up model. The 60's brought a multitude of achievements with the and series, as well as a range of new sedans, the , , American Bavaria and the 2. BMW proved once more that it hasn't left its king-of-the-hill-of-racing spot, as Austrian racing driver Dieter Quester scored several victories in the Formula Two series as well as a triple European touring car champion title in , and However, BMW did not stop there.

After having bestowed a great deal of mechanics magic upon the world, the company resumed its entertainment through development and unveiled the Turbo model in Following the success of its earlier aircraft engine, the Turbo is one of the first ever turbos to enter mass-production.

Production lines that would become worldwide pieces of success soon came out, such as the 6 and 7 series and the recently reconstructed BMW M1 model. By the end of the 70's, BMW had dug deep into other car-improvement related fields as well, and electronics proved to be the perfect ground for growing BMW's next generation of computerized car devices.

Economic fuel research then became top priority. Not only the company was quick in adapting to the fast-moving tendencies of those times, but it also became a steady and reliable supplier of armored cars for different private and public clients. Racing never lost its fans, consequently BMW never lost enthusiasm in racing. At the same time, the 5 series entered a new enhancement stage and was gifted the i engine and the powerful Mi.

The M5 and M3 models launched in and consequently joined the pinnacle of engineering accuracy and true power and beauty among sports cars enthusiasts. Research started to be heavily reinforced and reached new uncharted areas through the employment of over 6, people.