The history of BMW company was started on March 7, 1916 in Germany by Franz Josef Popp. At first it was an aircraft engine manufacturer called Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG. After a merger between the Rapp Motor and Otto Werke corporations the company then renamed to Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) in 1922.

During the World War I era they started out as and aircraft engine manufacturer since there was a large demand for this product at the time. The engines created by BMW were considered great, mostly of their fuel efficiency and ability to perform well in high altitudes. After the war BMW briefly stopped producing airplane engines mainly because of the Treaty of Versailles that prohibited German companies to produce warplanes including the engines.

In 1929, BMW made the best movement in their history by turning their attention to cars. This was a year after purchasing Automobilwerk Eisenach, thus gave them the rights to the Dixi cars. The first automobiles BMW produced were actually badged with BMW Dixi. When they began to build the Dixi a year later, the car was rebranded with the BMW name. The car even won the International Alpine Rally in 1929 and seeds the company’s hunger for racing.

The Second World War made them returned to business. They continued producing powerful airplane engines until 1945 including the legendary BMW 132 and BMW 801 engines.

During 1950’s BMW was in the dark era. Difficulties in financial and creative sectors. They almost bankrupt at the end of the decade. Knowing this situation, Daimler Benz – the parent company of Mercedes attempted to takeover of BMW. But they reacted by buying back crucial shares in the market and it saved their future. This moment is considered as the start of the biggest rivalry between two largest automobile manufacturers in history to this day.

Today BMW owned some of the biggest car brands in the world such as the British giants MINI and Rolls Royce. They purchased the parent company of MINI, the British Rover Group back in 1994. And gave them the rights to produce Rover MG and Land Rover. BMW took over Rolls Royce also by acquiring the parent company back in 2003.

BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. They currently produces cars and motorcycles under BMW Motorrad. The BMW museum in Munich, Germany, displays some of the finest cars in the world from BMW that has been around since many decades ago. 

Along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz they form the trio of the German luxury automobile manufacturers called as “German Big 3”. These three automotive companies are the most commonly found European car brands around the world, boasting with high class comfort and advanced technology inside their products.