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} BMW AG (an abbreviation for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or around English, Bavarian Motor Works), is a German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. BMW is the parent company of the Mini and Rolls-Royce car brands, and, erst, Rover. Within German, the acronym BMW is pronounced "b:eh - emm - v:eh". Within North America & some other regions, BMW cars and bike come periodically known as "bimmers," or even "beemers". A company's motto within English come "The Ultimate Driving Machine" & "Sheer Driving Pleasure".
History BMW Headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Pre-WWII Around 1916 the company secured a contract to build V12 engines for Austria-Hungary. Looking for more funding, Rapp gained a trend lines of Camillo Castiglioni and Max Friz, a company wwhen reconstituted as the Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. Across-expansion driven difficulties; Rapp left & a company was taken all over per Austrian industrialist Franz Josef Popp in 1917, and known as BMW AG in 1918. Fallowing World War I, the Treaty of Versailles (1919) prohibited the production of aircraft inside Germany. Otto closed his factory & BMW switched to manufacturing railway brakes. Within 1927 the tiny Dixi, an Austin Seven produced under licence, began production in Eisenach. BMW bought a company a resulting season, & this became a company's foremost car, a BMW 3/15. By 1933 BMW were producing cars that could be known as truly theirs, offering steadily additional advanced inline 6-cylinder sports and saloon cars. A pre-war cars culminated in the beautiful 327 saloon and 328 roadster, fast 2-litre cars, both super advanced for their period.
World War II BMW motorcycles, specifically the BMW R 12 and the BMW R 75 combination were used extensively per Reconnaissance formations of German panzer and motorised divisions of the Heer, Waffen SS and Luftwaffe. BMW was too the major provider of engines to the Luftwaffe and of engines and vehicles, especially motorcyles, to the Wehrmacht. A aero-engines involved a 801, one of the virtually all right available. Concluded 30,000 were made as much as 1945. BMW besides researched jet engines, producing the BMW 003, and rocket depending weapons. BMW has admitted to applying between 25,000 & 30,000 break one's back jack in the cycle of this period, consisting of two inmates of ill-famed concentration camps such as Dachau and prisoners of war. A BMW works were heavily bombed towards a prevent of the war. Of its web sites, people inside eastern Germany (Eisenach, Dürrerhof, Basdorf and Zühlsdorf) were seized by the Soviets. A manufactory inside Munich was largely destroyed.
Aftermath of WWII When a war a Munich factory took some instance to restart production in any volume. BMW was banned from either manufacturing for trinity years per Allies and did not make the car model until 1952. In a east, the company's manufactory at Eisenach was taken all over per state-owned Awtowelo group. That company offered "BMWs" purchasable until 1951, when a Bavarian company prevented utilise of the trademarks: a title, the logo and the "double-kidney" radiator grille. A cars were so branded EMW (Eisenacher Motoren Werke), production continuing until 1955. In a west, the BAC, Bristol Aeroplane Company, inspected the mill, & returned to Britain with plans for the 326, 327 and 328 system. These plans, which became official war reparations, along by owning BMW engineer Fritz Fiedler allowed the fresh formed Bristol Cars to produce a fresh, high-quality sports saloon, a 400 by 1947, a car and then similar to a BMW 327 that it possibly saved the celebrated BMW grille. BMW Z3
Post-war history Around 1952, BMW produced its 1st coach since a war, however its tries for into a premium sector were non commercially successful; system like a acclaimed BMW 507 were too expensive to build fruitfully & were moo volume. Per late 1950s, it was making bubble cars like a Isetta. Around 1959 BMW's management suggested selling the whole concern to Daimler-Benz. Major stockholder, Herbert Quandt was close to agreeing such a treat, however changed his mind at a eleventh hour because of opposition from either either a hands & union & advice from the board president, Kurt Golda. Instead Quandt increased his part within BMW to 50% against a advice of his bankers, & he was instrumental successively a company in the area of. That equivalent month, BMW launched a 700, a little car by using an air-cooled, tail-mounted 697 three-dimensional cm boxer engine from either a R67 bike. Its bodywork was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and the 2+2 model experienced the sporty look. There was as well the further mighty RS model for racing. Competition successes in the 700 began to locate BMW's reputation for sports sedans. At a Frankfurt show in 1961, BMW launched a 1500, a right compact sedan, with front disk brake & 4-four-wheeled independent suspension. This modern specification farther cemented BMW's reputation for sporting cars. It was a 1st BMW to officially feature a "Hofmeister kink", a tail window line that has been the hallmark of everthing BMWs since so. A "New Class" 1500 was developed into 1600 and 1800 models. Around 1966, them-door version of the 1600 was launched, along by using the convertible around 1967. These system were known as a '02' series—the 2002 being a virtually all famous—and began a bloodline that in the future developed into the BMW 3 Series. Around 1968, BMW launched its large "New Six" sedans, the 2500, 2800, and American Bavaria, and coupés, the 2.5 CS and 2800 CS. Per 1970s, BMW was commercially successful and around December 1971, moved withinside to its present HQ in Munich, architecturally modelled fallowing quatern cylinders. Around 1972, the 5 Series was launched to replace the Just released Class sedans, by having a system styled by Marcello Gandini. A Future Class coupes were replaced per 3 Series in 1975, and a Freshly Six became a 7 Series in 1977. So a 3-tier sports sedan range was formed, & BMW fundamentally followed this formula into a 1990s. More cars, prefer a 6 Series coupés that replaced a CS & the M1, were also added to a mix when the market demanded.
"The English Patient" Between 1994 and 2000, under the leadership of Bernd Pischetsrieder, BMW owned the Rover Group in an attempt to get into mass market production, pip out from either British Aerospace. This brought a Rover passenger car range, a Mini, Land Rover and Range Rover, plus historical list like Triumph, into BMW ownership. A venture was non successful. For years, Rover tried to rival BMW, around case does'nt inside product, so in market aligning & "snob appeal". BMW encountered it hard to reposition a English carmaker alongside its have products & a Rover section was faced by having endless changes around its marketing strategy. In the sestet years under BMW, Rover was placed as the premium carmaker, the mass-market carmaker, a section of BMW & an independent unit. BMW was other successful sustaining a Mini, Land Rover and Range Rover brands, which did not use at times parallels inside its have range at a period. Around 2000, BMW discarded of Rover after years of losses, with Rover cars running to the Phoenix Consortium for the nominal £10 & L& Rover and Range Rover running to the Ford Motor Company. In the click, several years of under-investment by Rover prior to BMW's ownership were principally blamed for the debacle; productivity & industrial relations were typically full when you took this cycle. A German click ridiculed a English business firm when "The English Patient", after a film at the instance. BMW itself, secure by its product range's image, was largely spared a blame — possibly though it was a good marketing issues that brought Rover down. Potentially a British click was non particularly sympathetic toward Rover. BMW retained a Mini & Triumph marques. Mini has been a extremely successful business, though the Triumph title has non been utilized.
Redesign Controversy In the early a share of the 2000s, BMW undertook another of its periodical rounds of redoing a styling project of its various series of vehicles, under a auspices of new promoted project chief Christopher Bangle. These designs, which were good deal curvier & 'swoopier' -- the project cue known as "flame surfacing" by Bangle -- did non rest swell a least bit using BMW enthusiasts or even a self-propelled click which referred to the newly designs when "Bangled" or even "Bangle-ized". When Bangle did nin pen tons one designs, & has indeed been promoted in a company, a bit of wonder what yearn term symptom a disaffection of BMW diehard for these designs have had on sales, & on the company's new. Despite a disceptation, BMW sales keep around increased month fallowing month, showing a purchasing public's embrace of the freshly project philosophy. What is non easily known, nonetheless is that Bangle was indeed responsible numerous 'conservativist' BMW designs & has worked at BMW for well-nigh the decade. A 1st X5 sketches (which extremely resembled a production car), were intentional by him, & under his tenure a E46 come to exist as.
Production outside Germany BMW began producing car at its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant in 1994. In todays world, a plant manufactures a BMW X5 and BMW Z4 Roadster. the Spartanburg plant is open hexad years the week, producing car some 110 hours a week. It employs astir 4,700 humans & manufactures assibilate D vehicles every day. Fallowing the period of local assembly, BMW's Rosslyn, South Africa plant now manufactures cars, by having all over Seventy percent of its output destined for exportation. In the mid-1990s, BMW invested R1 billion to make Rosslyn the globe-class facility. A plant today exports all over 50,000 Triad Series cars a year, mostly to a America, Japan, Australia, Africa & the Middle East. Starting from either October 2003, BMWs come produced within Shenyang, China. BMW has established the joint venture using Chinese manufacturer Brilliance to build BMW Trinity Series & Quintet Series vehicles for the local market.
Rolls-Royce In the early Nineties, BMW & Rolls-Royce Motors began a joint venture that would watch a recently Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph and Bentley Arnage adopt BMW engines. Inside 1998, each BMW & Volkswagen tried to purchase Rolls-Royce Motors. Volkswagen outbid BMW and bought a company for £430 million, however BMW outflanked its German competition. Although VW got bought rights to the "Spirit of Ecstasy" mascot & a shape of the radiator grille, it lacked rights to the Rolls-Royce title. A Rolls-Royce aero-engine business had retained a rights above a Rolls-Royce trademark and wished to strengthen its existing business partnership by using BMW. Consequently BMW were allowed to get a rights to a grille & mascot, & licensed the title & "RR" logotype when 2003 for £40m. Volkswagen was permitted to build Rolls-Royces at its Crewe factory only until 2003, however quickly shifted its emphasis to the Bentley brand. Meantime, BMW was faced by having the require to build the newly manufactory & get a freshly model. A recently mill at Goodwood produced the fresh Rolls-Royce Phantom, unveiled on January 2, 2003, and officially launched at a Detroit Auto Show on January 5, 2003.
Models
Current and near future products A todays BMW exemplary line-higher is split into what it call for "Series", traditionally identified by one digit - e.g. a Threesome Series. Within 2004 BMW announced plans to produce odd-numbered system sedans and estates or wagons (BMW calls its estates/wagons Touring system), when possibly-numbered system is both-door coupes and cabriolets. This convention began informally within 197Captain hicks by having a introduction of the 6 Series and later continued inside 1989 sustaining a 8 Series, but died off once a latter was discontinued around 1999. This practice wwhen revived as a Z4 replaced the senescent Z3 roadster in 2003 & continues when a recently 6 Series augments the existent BMW 5 Series. Coupe versions of the 3 Series sedans have universally been known as Tierce Series vehicles, too. A company got considered renaming first Two-door derivatives of the Trinity Series when Tetrad Series cars, however this project has reportedly been shelved.
A K letter was utilized before a shift to Series-known as cars to designate favorite "Motorsport" system, beginning by having a M1 supercar. Late a Thousand letter was utilized as a prefix to top-of-a-range system which got received favorite professional assistance per BMW Motorsport section. A number one such car was a M535i of 1979. When these system began gaining popularity the Motorsport section was split into a separate company. BMW M GmbH now makes sporty system according to a production cars by having super extensive chassis & engine upgrades. A MThree & MFive come depending severally on a 3 & 5 Series & come recognised by enthusiasts a lot above the world when truly first-class sports car when retaining the practicality of the system it extend. By using a advent of the SUV, BMW also added a X5 - & within 2004 a X3 - to their exemplary range to capitalise on this growing market. BMW calls its SUV system Sports Activity Vehicles. The conceivable first V Series might offer MPV practicality for large families, similar to the Renault Scenic.
Out of production
Classics
BMW mass produced several cars across a years which experienced neat impact on the world of motoring.
Series Generations
Internally, BMW associates an "e-code" for every generation of the series ("E" stands for Entwicklung, German for development or evolution). These "chassis codes" sole vary to signify the major even redesign of the series, or the introduction of a recently series.
Related companies
Motorsport
BMW has been engaged within motorsport activities since the dawn of the 1st BMW bike. BMW has competed & won numbers of of the virtually all in dem& & prestigious races and motoring cases.
BMW Motorcycles
a R series presently designates machines sustaining a boxer-twin engine, a 1000 series has an inline Four-cylinder engine, & the F series has one cylinder Rotax engine.
When you took WWII BMW produced the BMW R75 motorcycle with the sidecar attached. Remarkably, a sidecar's wheel was likewise caused. Cooperative sustaining the lockable differential, this made a vehicle super capable off-road, an same inside several ways to the Jeep.
BMW bike tend to exist as comparatively big & heavily, & relaxed & comfortable to ride. Altogether BMW bike except for even the F series (which have the chain or belt cautilize) use shaft cause, a characteristic of BMW bike since 1923.
BMW updated a traditional R project around 1993. These newly bikes were in the main oil-cooled (hence, known as oilheads) and got Quadruplet valves by the cylinder. (Older Rs come mainly air-cooled, & known as airheads.) integral 2004, BMW updated the oilhead boxer engine, adding double spark plugs by the cylinder, a built-in balance shaft, an increased capacity to 1200 cubic centimeter & enhanced performance to C horsepower (75 kW) for the R1200GS, in comparison 85 h.p. (63 kW) of the former oilhead s R1150GS.
Around 2004, BMW introduced the freshly K1200S Sports Bike which marked a departure for BMW. These are two right (a engine occurs as 167bhp unit from either a company's function by using a Williams F1 team) & significantly lighter than last K system. It was BMW's latest attempt to keep higher by using a pace of development of sports machines from either a likes of Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Innovations include the unique electronically adjustable front & rearward suspension, & the Hossack-nature and severity front fork BMW calls Duolever.
BMW was one of a earliest manufacturers to offer ABS on production motorcycles.
BMW is an trailblazer inside bike suspension project. Virtually all modern examples utilise individual-sided rearward swingarms. Their trademark front suspension project, known as a Telelever, was number 1 seen in the early Nineties. A Telelever significantly reduces dive under braking, & is occasionally criticized by sport riders when insulating a rider from either traveling inputs, so reducing a rider's "feel" for the roadway.
Culture
BMW's high desirability however typically spotty dependability record has besides gained it a dislogistic title of "Bring Money to Workshop."
A term "beemer" began as a pronunciation of the acronym "BMW," altered from either a early-20th-Century British pronunciation of BSA (as "beeser" or even "beezer"), whose bike were typically racing BMW's. All over period a term became closely associated by having BMW bike.
A term "bimmer" was late coined to refer (solely) to BMW auto. When such, apply of the word "beemer" to refer the BMW machine is [http://www.boston-bmwcca.org/reference/bimmer-beemer.asp frowned upon] by BMW enthusiasts, though a distinction is somewhat arbitrary.
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