Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

s headquartered in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Bavaria, Germany. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of

aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Aircraft using power components are referred to as powered flight. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbin ...

s, which it produced from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945, creating engines for aircraft that were used in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The company's automobiles are marketed under the BMW,

Mini The Mini is a very small two-door, four-seat car, produced for four decades over a single generation, with many names and variants, by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors British Leyland and the Rover Group, and finally ...

and

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

brands, and motorcycles are marketed under the

BMW Motorrad ''BMW Motorrad'' is the motorcycle brand and division of German automotive manufacturer, BMW. It has produced motorcycles since 1923, and achieved record sales for the fifth year in succession in 2015. With a total of 136,963 vehicles sold in 201 ...

brand. In 2023, BMW was the world's ninth-largest producer of motor vehicles, and the 6th largest by revenue, with 2,555,341 vehicles produced in that year alone. In 2023, the company was ranked 46th in the ''Forbes'' Global 2000. The company has significant motor-sport history, especially in

touring cars Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition that uses race-prepared touring cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States. While the cars do not move a ...

sports cars A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1910s and ar ...

, and the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...

. BMW is headquartered in Munich and produces motor vehicles in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, India, China, and previously also in the Netherlands (ceased in 2023). The is a long-term shareholder of the company, following investments by the brothers

Herbert Herbert may refer to: People * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert, Northern Territor ...

and

Harald Quandt Harald Friedrich Ludwig Quandt (1 November 1921 – 22 September 1967) was a German industrialist, the son of Günther Quandt and Magda Behrend Ritschel. His parents divorced and his mother was later married to Joseph Goebbels, then chief ...

in 1959, saved BMW from

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

, with remaining shares owned by

the public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

History

The '' Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik'' was founded in 1910 by Gustav Otto in the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria ( ; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1806 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, the kingd ...

, which was a state of the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

. The firm was reorganized on 7 March 1916 into . This company was then renamed to (BMW) in 1922. However, the name BMW dates back to 1913, when a company using that name was founded by

Karl Rapp Karl Friedrich Rapp (24 September 1882 – 26 May 1962) was a German founder and owner of the Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH in Munich. In time, this company became BMW AG. He is acknowledged by BMW AG as an indirect founder of the company. Early l ...

initially as . The name and 's engine-production assets were transferred to in 1922, who adopted the name the same year. BMW's first product was an engine for fighter aircraft of the . It was a straight-six called the

BMW IIIa BMW IIIa was an inline six-cylinder SOHC valvetrain, water-cooled aircraft engine, the first-ever engine produced by Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, who, at the time, were exclusively an aircraft engine manufacturer. Its success laid the foundati ...

, designed in the spring of 1917 by engineer

Max Friz Max Friz (October 1, 1883 – June 9, 1966) was a German mechanical engineer specializing in engine design. He was the key contributor of engine design and innovation that led to the founding of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) in 1917. Early ...

. Following the end of World War I, BMW remained in business by producing motorcycle engines, agricultural equipment, household items, and railway brakes. The company produced its first motorcycle, the '' BMW R 32'', in 1923. BMW became an automobile manufacturer in 1928 when it purchased Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, which, at the time, built the

Austin 7 The Austin 7 is an economy car that was produced from 1922 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. It was nicknamed the "Baby Austin" and was at that time one of the most popular cars produced for the British market and sold well abroad. ...

under licence from

Automobilwerk Eisenach The Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE) was an automobile manufacturer in Eisenach, Germany. History Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach Heinrich Ehrhardt founded the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach (FFE) in Eisenach on 3 December 1896 as a stock company. Init ...

, badged as the Dixi.Odin, L. C. (2015). ''World in Motion 1939: The whole of the year's automobile production''. Belvedere. . The first car sold as a BMW was a rebadged Dixi called the

BMW 3/15 The BMW 3/15 was BMW's first car, produced in its first version as a "Dixi" between 1927 and 1929 and then, following BMW's acquisition of the Automobilwerk Eisenach business in October 1928, in three subsequent versions as BMWs from July 1929 till ...

, following BMW's acquisition of the car manufacturer

. Throughout the 1930s, BMW expanded its range into sports cars and larger luxury cars. Aircraft engines, motorcycles, and automobiles would be BMW's main products until World War II. During the war, BMW concentrated on building the

BMW 801 The BMW 801 was a powerful Nazi Germany, German Air-cooled engine, air-cooled 14-cylinder-radial engine, radial aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German Luftwaffe aircraft of World War II. Production versions of the Radial e ...

aircraft engine using as many as 40,000 slave laborers. These consisted primarily of prisoners from

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

, most prominently

Dachau Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...

. Motorcycles remained as a side-line and automobile manufacture ceased altogether. BMW's factories were heavily bombed during the war and its remaining West German facilities were banned from producing motor vehicles or aircraft after the war. The company survived by making pots, pans, and bicycles. In 1948, BMW restarted motorcycle production. BMW resumed car production in Bavaria in 1952 with the

BMW 501 The BMW 501 was a luxury car manufactured by BMW from 1952 to 1958. Introduced at the first Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951, the 501 was the first BMW model to be manufactured and sold after the Second World War, and as the first BMW car built in Bav ...

luxury saloon. The range of cars was expanded in 1955, through the production of the cheaper

Isetta The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar initially manufactured in 1953 by the Italian firm Iso (automobile), Iso SpA, and subsequently built under license in a number of different countries, including Argentina, Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil ...

microcar under licence. Slow sales of luxury cars and small profit margins from microcars, meant BMW was in serious financial trouble and in 1959 the company was nearly taken over by rival Daimler-Benz. A large investment in BMW by

Herbert Quandt Herbert Werner Quandt (22 June 1910 – 2 June 1982) was a German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party credited with having saved BMW when it was at the point of bankruptcy and made a huge profit in doing so. Quandt also oversaw the us ...

and

resulted in the company surviving as a separate entity.

Günther Quandt Günther Quandt (28 July 1881 – 30 December 1954) was a German industrialist who founded an industrial empire that today includes BMW and Altana, a car and chemical company, respectively. Between 1921 and 1929, he was married to Magda Ritsche ...

was a well-known German industrialist and joined the

Nazi party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

in 1933; he made a fortune arming the German Wehrmacht, manufacturing weapons and batteries. Many of his enterprises were appropriated from Jewish owners under duress with minimal compensation. At least three of his enterprises made extensive use of slave laborers, as many as 50,000 in all. One of his battery factories had its own on-site concentration camp, complete with gallows. Life expectancy for laborers was six months. While Quandt and BMW were not directly connected during the war, funds amassed in the Nazi era by his father allowed Herbert Quandt to buy BMW. The relative success of the small

BMW 700 The BMW 700 is a small rear-engined car which was produced by BMW in various models from August 1959 to November 1965. It was the first BMW automobile with a monocoque structure. The 700 was a sales success at a time when BMW was close to financ ...

assisted in the company's recovery, allowing them to develop the New Class sedans. Bmw e12 v sst

The 1962 introduction of the

BMW New Class The BMW New Class () was a line of sedans and coupes produced by West German automaker BMW between 1962 and 1972. These models ensured BMW's solvency after the company's financial crisis of the 1950s and again established the identity of BMW aut ...

compact sedans was the beginning of BMW's reputation as a leading manufacturer of sport-oriented cars. Throughout the 1960s, BMW expanded its range by adding coupé and luxury sedan models. The

BMW 5 Series The BMW 5 Series is an executive car manufactured and marketed by BMW since 1972. It is the successor to the BMW New Class sedans and is currently in its eighth generation. The car is sold as either a sedan or, since 1991, a station wagon (marke ...

mid-size sedan range was introduced in 1972, followed by the

BMW 3 Series The BMW 3 series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 series and has been produced in seven generations. The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...

compact sedans in 1975, the

BMW 6 Series The BMW 6 Series is a range of grand tourers produced by BMW since 1976. It is the successor to the E9 Coupé and is currently in its fourth generation. The first generation BMW E24 6 Series was available solely as a two-door coupé and produce ...

luxury coupés in 1976 and the

BMW 7 Series The BMW 7 Series is a full-size luxury car, luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by the German automaker BMW since 1977. It is the successor to the BMW E3 "New Six" sedan and is now in its seventh generation. The 7 Series is BMW's flagship car ...

large luxury sedans in 1978. The

BMW M BMW M GmbH, formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH, is a subsidiary of BMW AG that manufactures high-performance luxury cars. BMW M ("M" for "motorsport") was initially created to facilitate BMW's racing program, which was very successful in ...

division released its first road car, the M1, a mid-engine supercar, in 1978. This was followed by the

BMW M5 The BMW M5 is a super high-performance variant of the BMW 5 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand. It is considered an iconic vehicle in the sports saloon category. The M5 has always been produced in the saloon (sedan, US English) body s ...

in 1984 and the

BMW M3 The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986. The initial mod ...

in 1986. Also in 1986, BMW introduced its first V12 engine in the 750i luxury sedan. The 1989

BMW Z1 The BMW Z1 is the first model in BMW's line of Z series roadsters (two-seater convertibles), and was produced in limited numbers from 1989 to 1991. The Z1 is unique for its plastic body panels and vertically sliding doors which drop into the ...

marked BMW's return to making a two-seat roadster, the 1995

BMW Z3 The BMW Z3 is a range of two-seater sports cars which was produced from 1995 to 2002. The body styles of the range are: * 2-door roadster (automobile), roadster (E36/7 model code) * 2-door coupé (E36/8 model code) The Z3 was based on the BMW 3 ...

was their first mass-production two-seat roadster, and the 1999

BMW X5 The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by BMW. The X5 made its debut in 1999 as the E53 model. It was BMW's first SUV. At launch, it featured all-wheel drive and was available with either a manual or automatic gearbox. The secon ...

was the company's first entry into the SUV market. The company purchased the

Rover Group The Rover Group plc was the British vehicle manufacturing conglomerate known as "BL plc" until 1986 (formerly British Leyland), which had been a state-owned company since 1975. It initially included the Austin Rover Group car business (compris ...

in 1994, but the takeover was not successful and caused BMW large financial losses. In 2000, BMW sold off most of the Rover brands, retaining only the Mini brand. In 1998, BMW also acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand from

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

. The first modern mass-produced turbocharged petrol engine was introduced in 2006 (from 1973 to 1975, BMW built 1,672 units of a turbocharged BMW M10 engine for the

BMW 02 Series The BMW 02 Series is a range of sporty compact executive cars produced by German automaker BMW between 1966 and 1977, based on a shortened version of the New Class Sedans. The first 02 Series produced was the 1600-2 (later renamed 1602) in 1966. ...

), with most engines switching over to turbocharging over the 2010s. The first hybrid BMW was the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7, and BMW's first mass-production electric car was the

BMW i3 The BMW i3 is an electric car that was manufactured by German marque BMW from 2013 to 2022. The i3 was BMW's first mass-produced zero-emissions vehicle, zero emissions vehicle and was launched as part of BMW's electric vehicle ''BMW i'' sub-bra ...

city car, which was released in 2013, (from 1968 to 1972, BMW built two battery-electric BMW 1602 Elektro saloons for the 1972 Olympic Games). After many years of establishing a reputation for sporting rear-wheel drive cars, BMW's first

front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of internal combustion engine, engine and transmission (mechanics), transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature ...

car was the 2014

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (F45/U06 model code) is a two-row subcompact executive MPV produced by BMW AG since August 2014. The closely related BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer (F46 model code) is a longer three-row version which began production ...

multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). In March 2018, Daimler and BMW merged their mobility services. In August 2019,

Oliver Zipse Oliver Zipse (born 7 February 1964) is a German business executive who has been the chairman of the board of management (CEO) of BMW since 16 August 2019. Early life and education Zipse graduated from high school in Bensheim in 1983. He studied ...

replaced

Harald Krüger Harald Krüger (born 13 October 1965 in Freiburg im Breisgau, West Germany) is a German manager who served as the chairman of the board of management (CEO) for BMW; he was replaced on 16 August 2019 by Oliver Zipse, after he declined to be consid ...

as the head of the BMW Group.

21st century

In January 2021, BMW announced that its sales in 2020 fell by 8.4 percent due to the impact of

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

restrictions. However, in the fourth quarter of 2020, BMW witnessed a rise of 3.2% in its customers' demands. This recovery was supported by the company's adoption of widely accepted technologies and integration of third-party services such as Apple Pay and on-demand music as well as key partnerships such as its collaboration with Daimler on autonomous driving. Additionally, BMW's strategic investment decisions which include localizing production of its SUVs to the Spartanburg plant in the U.S., placed the group in a position to easily navigate trade challenges and shifting consumer patterns. On 18 January 2022 BMW announced a BMW 7 Series (G11) special edition simply called "The Final V12", the last BMW series production vehicle to be fitted with a V-12 engine. On 5 October 2023 it was announced that BMW UK CEO Chris Brownridge would succeed Torsten Müller-Ötvös as the CEO of Rolls-Royce starting 1 December 2023, as a result of Müller-Ötvös retiring.

Branding

Company name

BMW is an abbreviation for ''Bayerische Motoren Werke''. This name is grammatically incorrect (in German, compound words must not contain spaces), which is why the grammatically correct form of the name, ''Bayerische Motorenwerke'' () has been used in several publications and advertisements in the past. ''Bayerische Motorenwerke'' translates into English as ''Bavarian Motor Works''. The suffix AG, short for ''

Aktiengesellschaft (; abbreviated AG ) is a German language, German word for a corporation limited by Share (finance), share ownership (i.e., one which is owned by its shareholders) whose shares may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria ...

'', signifies an incorporated entity owned by shareholders, thus akin to "Inc." (US) or PLC, "Public Limited Company" (UK). The terms Beemer, Bimmer and Bee-em are sometimes used as

slang A slang is a vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing and speech. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of pa ...

for BMW in the English language and are sometimes used interchangeably for cars and motorcycles.

Logo

The circular blue and white BMW logo or

roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of differ ...

evolved from the circular ''

Rapp Motorenwerke Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH was a German aircraft engine manufacturer based in Munich, Bavaria. Founded in 1913, the firm changed its name in 1917 to Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH (BMW). The company later became known as after its engine-production ...

'' company logo, which featured a black ring bearing the company name surrounding the company logo, an image of a horse head on a plinth. BMW retained Rapp's black ring inscribed with the company name, but the interior of the ring is quartered blue and white, reminiscent of the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

and

flag of Bavaria There are two official flags of Bavaria: the striped type and the Lozenge (heraldry), lozenge type, both of which are blue and white. Both flags are historically associated with the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach, Wittelsbach family, which ru ...

(which in turn are based on the arms of the historic

House of Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a former Bavarian dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electoral Palatinate, the Electorate of Cologne, County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, ...

, which ruled Bavaria for many centuries). The logo does not bear the distinctive lozenge shape found on the coat of arms, however, as local laws at the time it was introduced forbade the use of state coats of arms on commercial logos. A persistent myth claims that the logo is based on the image of an airplane propeller spinning in a blue sky. This myth likely stems from a 1929 BMW advertisement that depicted the logo superimposed on a rotating propeller. However, the logo predates that advertisement by 12 years. The current iteration of the logo was introduced in 2020, removing 3D effects that had been used in previous renderings of the logo while removing the black outline encircling the rondel. The logo is used for BMW's branding communications but it is not used on vehicles.

Slogan

The slogan 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' was first used in North America in 1974. In 2010, this long-lived campaign was mostly supplanted by a campaign intended to make the brand more approachable and to better appeal to women, 'Joy'. By 2012 BMW had returned to 'The Ultimate Driving Machine'.

Marks

In 2023, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)’s Madrid Yearly Review ranked BMW's number of marks applications filled under the

Madrid System The Madrid System, also known as the Madrid Protocol, is the primary international system for facilitating the registration of trademarks in multiple jurisdictions around the world. It was established pursuant to the multilateral treaties ''Mad ...

as 2nd in the world, with 124

trademarks A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a product or service from a particular source and distinguishes it from ot ...

applications submitted during 2023.

Corporate affairs

The key trends of the BMW Group are (as at the financial year ending December 31):

Motorcycles

BMW began production of motorcycle engines and then motorcycles after World War I.Peter Gantriis, Henry Von Wartenberg. "The Art of BMW: 85 Years of Motorcycling Excellence". MotorBooks International, September 2008, p. 10. Its motorcycle brand is now known as

. Their first successful motorcycle after the failed Helios and Flink, was the " R32" in 1923, though production originally began in 1921. This had a "

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

" twin engine, in which a cylinder projects into the air-flow from each side of the machine. Apart from their single-cylinder models (basically to the same pattern), all their motorcycles used this distinctive layout until the early 1980s. Many BMW's are still produced in this layout, which is designated the R Series. The entire BMW Motorcycle production has, since 1969, been located at the company's Berlin-Spandau factory. During the Second World War, BMW produced the

BMW R75 : ''For the 1970s 750 cc motorcycles see BMW R75/5, BMW R75/6, or BMW R75/7'' The BMW R75 is a World War II-era motorcycle and sidecar combination produced by the German company BMW. The BMW R75 stands out by its integral two-wheel drive desig ...

motorcycle with a motor-driven

sidecar A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, Scooter (motorcycle), scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. The combination of a motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a ''rig'', ''outfit' ...

attached, combined with a lockable differential, this made the vehicle very capable off-road. In 1982, came the K Series, shaft drive but water-cooled and with either three or four cylinders mounted in a straight line from front to back. Shortly after, BMW also started making the chain-driven F and G series with single and parallel twin

Rotax Rotax is the brand name for a range of internal combustion engines developed and manufactured by the Austrian company BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG (until 2016 BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG), in turn owned by the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Prod ...

engines. In the early 1990s, BMW updated the

airhead An airhead is a designated area in a hostile or threatened territory which, when seized and held, allows the air landing of further teams and materiel via an airbridge, and provides the maneuver and preparation space necessary for projected oper ...

Boxer engine which became known as the oilhead. In 2002, the oilhead engine had two spark plugs per cylinder. In 2004 it added a built-in balance shaft, an increased capacity to and enhanced performance to for the R1200GS, compared to of the previous R1150GS. More powerful variants of the oilhead engines are available in the R1100S and R1200S, producing , respectively. In 2004, BMW introduced the new K1200S Sports Bike which marked a departure for BMW. It had an engine producing , derived from the company's work with the Williams F1 team, and is lighter than previous K models. Innovations include electronically adjustable front and rear suspension, and a Hossack-type front fork that BMW calls Duolever. BMW introduced

anti-lock brakes An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti- skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby maintai ...

on production motorcycles starting in the late 1980s. The generation of anti-lock brakes available on the 2006 and later BMW motorcycles paved the way for the introduction of

electronic stability control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a car handling, vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of Tract ...

, or anti-skid technology later in the 2007 model year. BMW has been an innovator in motorcycle suspension design, taking up telescopic front suspension long before most other manufacturers. Then they switched to an Earles fork, front suspension by swinging fork (1955 to 1969). Most modern BMWs are truly rear swingarm, single sided at the back (compare with the regular swinging fork usually, and wrongly, called

swinging arm A swingarm ( or swinging arm), originally known as a swing fork or pivoted fork, is a single or double sided mechanical device which attaches the rear wheel of a motorcycle to its body, allowing it to pivot vertically. The main component of the ...

). Some BMWs started using yet another trademark front suspension design, the Telelever, in the early 1990s. Like the Earles fork, the Telelever significantly reduces dive under braking. BMW Group, on 31 January 2013, announced that Pierer Industrie AG has bought

Husqvarna Motorcycles Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH (; marketed as Husqvarna) is an Austrian motorcycle company with Swedish origins. It is co-owned by Indian Motorcycle manufacturer Bajaj Group and Pierer Industrie AG, Pierer Mobility AG. The company began producing m ...

for an undisclosed amount, which will not be revealed by either party in the future. The company is headed by Stephan Pierer (CEO of KTM). Pierer Industrie AG is 51% owner of KTM and 100% owner of Husqvarna. In September 2018, BMW unveiled a new self-driving motorcycle with BMW Motorrad with a goal of using the technology to help improve road safety. The design of the

bike A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. B ...

was inspired by the company's BMW R1200 GS model.

Automobiles

Current models

The current model lines of BMW cars are: * 1 Series five-door hatchbacks (model code F70). * 2 Series two-door coupes (model code G42), "Active Tourer" five-seat MPVs ( U06), four-door "Gran Coupe" sedans (model code F74) and long-wheelbase model exclusive to China ( F78). *

3 Series The BMW 3 series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the BMW 02 Series, 02 series and has been produced in seven generations. The first generation of the 3 Series ...

four-door sedans (model code

G20 The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stabil ...

), five-door station wagons ( G21) and long-wheelbase model exclusive to China ( G28). * 4 Series two-door coupes (model code G22), two-door convertibles (model code G23) and five-door "Gran Coupe" fastbacks (model code G26). *

5 Series The BMW 5 Series is an executive car manufactured and marketed by BMW since 1972. It is the successor to the BMW New Class#New Class Sedans, BMW New Class sedans and is currently in its eighth generation. The car is sold as either a sedan (car), s ...

four-door sedans (model code G60), five-door station wagons ( G61) and long-wheelbase model exclusive to China ( G68). * 7 Series four-door sedans (model code G70). * 8 Series two-door convertibles (model code G14), two-door coupes ( G15) and four-door "Gran Coupe" sedans ( G16). File:BMW 120 (F70) IMG 0362.jpg, 1 Series ( F70) File:BMW 220d (F74) DSC 7359.jpg, 2 Series Gran Coupé ( F74) File:BMW G42 1X7A0370.jpg, 2 Series ( G42) File:2019 BMW 318d SE Automatic 2.0 Front.jpg, 3 Series (

) File:2020 BMW 420i Sport Automatic 2.0.jpg, 4 Series ( G22) File:BMW G60 520d 1X7A1681.jpg, 5 Series ( G60) File:BMW G70 740d 1X7A7230.jpg, 7 Series ( G70) File:BMW G14 IMG 6039.jpg, 8 Series ( G15) The current model lines of the

X Series X series or xSeries or Series-X may refer to: Media and entertainment * ''X'' (video game series), a space combat and trading game series * ''X the album'', a series of Christian rock compilation albums * ''X-Men'' (film series) or "X" films Tec ...

SUVs and crossovers are: * X1 ( U11) * X2 ( U10) * X3 ( G45) * X4 ( G02) * X5 ( G05) * X6 ( G06) * X7 ( G07) * XM ( G09) File:BMW U11 1X7A6826.jpg, X1 ( U11) File:BMW U10 1X7A2456.jpg, X2 ( U10) File:BMW G45 20 IMG 2276.jpg, X3 ( G45) File:2018 BMW X4 xDrive20d M Sport Automatic 2.0 Front.jpg, X4 ( G02) File:2019 BMW X5 M50d Automatic 3.0.jpg, X5 ( G05) File:BMW G06 IMG 3715.jpg, X6 ( G06) File:BMW G07 (2022) 1X7A6450.jpg, X7 ( G07) File:BMW XM (G09) IMG 7778.jpg, XM ( G09) The current model line of the Z Series two-door roadsters is the Z4 (model code G29). File:2019 BMW Z4 M40i Automatic 3.0.jpg, Z4 ( G29)

i models

All-electric vehicles and

plug-in hybrid vehicle A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable electric-vehicle battery, battery pack that can be directly replenished via a power cord, charging cable plugg ...

s are sold under the ''

BMW i The BMW i is a sub-brand of BMW founded in 2011 to design and manufacture plug-in electric vehicles. The company initially released two vehicles: the BMW i3, i3 all-electric car and the BMW i8, i8 plug-in hybrid. From 2020, BMW began electrify ...

'' sub-brand. The current model range consists of: * i3

D-segment The D-segment is the 4th category of the Euro Car Segment, European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "large family car" size class, and the present-day definition of the mid-size ...

(compact) sedan, exclusive to China * i4

(compact) liftback * i5

E-segment The E-segment is the 5th category of the European segments for passenger cars, synonymous with the term executive car. E-Segment is a niche in Europe (2-3% penetration in 2010s). In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, E-segment sales accounted for 2.7% ...

(executive) sedan * i7

F-segment The F-segment is the 6th category and largest of the European segments for passenger cars, and always belongs to " luxury cars". The equivalent categories are full-size luxury sedan (or "large luxury sedan") in the United States, luxury saloon ...

(full-size) sedan * iX1

C-segment The C-segment is the 3rd category of the Euro Car Segment, European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. ...

(subcompact) SUV * iX2

(subcompact) SUV * iX3

(compact) SUV * iX

(mid-size) SUV File:BMW i3 (G28) China (2) (cropped).jpg, i3 File:BMW i4 IMG 6695.jpg, i4 File:BMW i5 1X7A1826.jpg, i5 File:BMW i7 xDrive60 1X7A6822.jpg, i7 File:BMW iX1 1X7A6829.jpg, iX1 File:BMW iX2 xDrive30 IMG 1811.jpg, iX2 File:BMW iX3 G08 FL IMG 6225.jpg, iX3 File:BMW iX 1X7A0305.jpg, iX In addition, several plug-in hybrid models built on existing platforms have been marketed as ''iPerformance'' models. Examples include the 225xe using a 1.5 L three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor, the 330e/ 530e using a 2.0 L four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, and the 550e/ 750e using a 3.0 L six-cylinder engine with an electric motor. Also,

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...

and

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...

plug-in hybrid models have been released using i technology: X1 xDrive25e, X2 xDrive25e, X3 xDrive30e, and X5 xDrive40e.

M models

The ''BMW M GmbH'' subsidiary (called BMW Motorsport GmbH until 1993) started making high-performance versions of various BMW models in 1978. , the M lineup is: * M2 two-door coupe * M3 four-door sedan and five-door station wagon * M4 two-door coupe/convertible * M5 four-door sedan and five-door station wagon * M8 two-door coupe/convertible and four-door sedan * X4 M compact coupe SUV * X5 M mid-size SUV * X6 M mid-size coupe SUV * XM Large SUV File:BMW G87 M2 1X7A6663.jpg, M2 File:2021 BMW M3 Competition Automatic 3.0 Front.jpg, M3 File:BMW M4 (G82) IMG 4183.jpg, M4 File:2024 BMW M5 G99 BS O24.jpg, M5 File:BMW M8 Competition IMG 3364.jpg, M8 File:2019 BMW X4 M Competition Automatic 3.0 Front.jpg, X4 M File:BMW X5 M (G05) IMG 3370.jpg, X5 M File:BMW X6 M Competition (G06) IMG 3572.jpg, X6 M The letter "M" is also often used in the marketing of BMW's regular models, for example the F20 M140i model, the G11 M760Li model and various optional extras called "M Sport", "M Performance" or similar.

Naming convention for models

Motorsport

BMW has a long history of motorsport activities, including: *

Touring cars Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition that uses race-prepared touring cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States. While the cars do not move a ...

, such as

DTM DTM may refer to: Sport * Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, a motor-racing series staged annually in Germany since 2000 * Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, a motor-racing championship staged in Germany from 1984 to 1995 Computing * Data Transfer ...

, WTCC, ETCC and

BTCC The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), officially known as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by ...

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

* Endurance racing, such as

24 Hours Nürburgring 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the H ...

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...

24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car racing, sports car Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Flo ...

and

Spa 24 Hours The 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event for cars held annually since 1924 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium. It is currently sponsored by CrowdStrike. History The Spa 24 Hours was conceived by Jules de Their and ...

Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally () or simply "The Dakar" (), formerly known as the Paris–Dakar Rally (), is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). It is an off-road endurance event traversing terrain much tougher than convent ...

American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le M ...

IMSA SportsCar Championship The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (I ...

Formula BMW Formula BMW was a junior racing formula for single seater cars. It was positioned at the bottom of the motorsport career ladder alongside the longer established Formula Ford category. Like Formula Ford, it was intended to function as the young ...

, a junior racing

Formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...

category *

Formula Two Formula Two (F2) is a type of Open-wheel car, open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship season, 2009 to 2012 FIA Formula Two C ...

Formula E Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is an open-wheel single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The racing series is the highest class of competition for electrically powered single-seater racing cars ...

File:16 Timo Glock (27860673816).jpg, 2016

BMW M4 DTM The BMW M4 DTM is a touring car constructed by the German car manufacturer BMW for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. It was developed in 2013, and partook in DTM races from 2014 to 2020. Two versions were made: a naturally-aspirated V8 car throu ...

File:BMW M6 GT3 of Richards & Twigg 2016.jpg, 2016 BMW M6 GT3 File:Christian Iddon BSB Knockhill 2016.jpg, 2016

BMW S1000RR BMW S1000RR is a race orientated sport bike initially made by BMW Motorrad to compete in the 2009 Superbike World Championship, that is now in commercial production. It was introduced in Munich in April 2008, and is powered by a Inline-four engi ...

File:Nick Heidfeld 2007 Britain 2.jpg, 2007 BMW Sauber F1.07

Involvement in the arts

Architecture

The global

BMW Headquarters The BMW Headquarters (, ), also known as the BMW Tower (German: ''BMW-Turm'' or ''BMW-Hochhaus''), is a high-rise building located in the Am Riesenfeld area of Munich, Germany. The building has served as the global corporate headquarters of Germa ...

in Munich represents the cylinder head of a

four-cylinder engine The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...

. It was designed by

Karl Schwanzer Karl Schwanzer (May 21, 1918 – August 20, 1975) was an Austrian architect. He was an important figure of post-war architecture. Life Schwanzer was born and died in Vienna. As early as high school, he and his uncle (a carpenter) planned and bu ...

and was completed in 1972. The building has become a European icon and was declared a protected historic building in 1999. The main tower consists of four vertical cylinders standing next to and across from each other. Each cylinder is divided horizontally in its center by a mold in the facade. Notably, these cylinders do not stand on the ground; they are suspended on a central support tower.

BMW Museum The BMW Museum is the corporate museum of BMW history and was established in 1973, shortly after the 1972 Summer Olympics opened. From 2004 to 2008, it was renovated in connection with the construction of the BMW Welt, directly opposite. The museu ...

is a futuristic cauldron-shaped building, which was also designed by Karl Schwanzer and opened in 1972. The interior has a spiral theme and the roof is a 40-metre diameter BMW logo.

BMW Welt The BMW Welt is a combined exhibition, delivery, adventure museum, and event venue located in Munich's district Am Riesenfeld, next to the Olympiapark (Munich), Olympic Park, in the immediate vicinity of the BMW Headquarters and factory. It was ...

, the company's exhibition space in Munich, was designed by

Coop Himmelb(l)au Coop Himmelb(l)au (a pun meaning '' Coop Sky Building'' and ''Coop Sky Blue'') is an architecture, urban planning, design and art firm founded in 1968 by Wolf D. Prix, Helmut Swiczinsky and Michael Holzer in Vienna, Austria. History Coop Hi ...

and opened in 2007. It includes a showroom and lifting platforms where a customer's new car is theatrically unveiled to the customer. File:BMW Museum Old Wing Interior 200905.jpg, BMW Museum File:BMW Welt, Múnich, Alemania, 2013-04-22, DD 03.jpg, BMW Welt

Art Cars

In 1975, sculptor

Alexander Calder Alexander "Sandy" Calder (; July 22, 1898 – November 11, 1976) was an American sculptor known both for his innovative mobile (sculpture), mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents) that embrace chance in their aesthetic, hi ...

was commissioned to paint the BMW 3.0 CSL racing car driven by

Hervé Poulain Hervé Poulain (born 16 December 1940) is a retired French racing driver, author, and auctioneer. He is best known today as the instigator of the BMW Art Car project. Poulain's idea was to invite contemporary artists to use new automobiles, w ...

at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which became the first in the series of BMW Art Cars. Since Calder's work of art, many other renowned artists throughout the world have created BMW Art Cars, including

David Hockney David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English Painting, painter, Drawing, draughtsman, Printmaking, printmaker, Scenic design, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considere ...

Jenny Holzer Jenny Holzer (born July 29, 1950) is an American neo-conceptual artist, based in Hoosick, New York. Her work focuses on the delivery of words and ideas in public spaces and includes large-scale installations, advertising billboards, projectio ...

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...

Robert Rauschenberg Milton Ernest "Robert" or "Bob" Rauschenberg (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the Pop art movement. Rauschenberg is well known for his Combine painting, Combines (1954� ...

Frank Stella Frank Philip Stella (May 12, 1936 – May 4, 2024) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. He lived and worked in New York City for much of his career befor ...

, and

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

. To date, a total of 19 BMW Art Cars, based on both racing and regular production vehicles, have been created. File:Calder CSL.jpg, 1975 3.0 CSL Art Car by Alexander Calder File:BMW M1.jpg, 1979 M1 Art Car by Andy Warhol

Visual arts

BMW sponsors a number of awards in the visual arts. These include the BMW Art Journey award, which honors a young or mid-career artist in collaboration with

Art Basel Art Basel is a for-profit, privately owned and managed, international art fair staged annually in Basel (Switzerland), Miami Beach (US), Hong Kong and Paris. Art Basel provides a platform for galleries to show and sell their work to buyers, an ...

, and the BMW Painting Award, which was created to promote painting in Spain by finding new talent and showcasing their work. BMW was the principal sponsor of the 1998 ''

The Art of the Motorcycle The Art of the Motorcycle was an Art exhibition, exhibition that presented 114 motorcycles chosen for their historic importance or design excellenceSawetz. "The Art of the Motorcycle is curated by Thomas Krens, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenh ...

'' exhibition at various

Guggenheim museums The Guggenheim Museums are a group of museums in different parts of the world established (or proposed to be established) by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Museums in this group include: * The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Ne ...

, though the financial relationship between BMW and the Guggenheim Foundation was criticised in many quarters. In 2012, BMW began sponsoring

Independent Collectors Independent Collectors is an online community and editorial platform for contemporary art collectors. Founder Christian Kaspar Schwarm originally launched the site in June 2008. Independent Collectors is said to be the largest online resource of pri ...

production of the ''BMW Art Guide'', which is the first global guide to private and publicly accessible collections of contemporary art worldwide. The fourth edition, released in 2016, features 256 collections from 43 countries.

Production and sales

BMW Leipzig MEDIA 050719 Download Karosseriebau max

BMW produces complete automobiles in the following countries: * Germany: Munich,

Dingolfing Dingolfing () is a town in southern Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the Landkreis (district) Dingolfing-Landau. Dingolfing is home of a BMW assembly plant. History The area now called Dingolfing was first mentioned in ''Tinguluinga'' in th ...

, Regensburg and Leipzig * United States:

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state. The Office of Management and Budg ...

* Mexico: San Luis Potosí * China:

Shenyang Shenyang,; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly known as Fengtian formerly known by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a sub-provincial city in China and the list of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Liaonin ...

* South Africa: Rosslyn BMW also has local assembly operation using

complete knock-down A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, and then exported to another country or r ...

(CKD) components in Brazil, Thailand, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and India. In the UK, BMW has a Mini factory near Oxford, plants in Swindon and Hams Hall, and Rolls-Royce vehicle assembly at Goodwood. In 2020, these facilities were shut down for the period from 23 March to 17 April due to the coronavirus outbreak. The BMW group (including Mini and Rolls-Royce) produced 1,366,838 automobiles in 2006 and then 1,481,253 automobiles in 2010. BMW Motorcycles are being produced at the company's Berlin factory, which earlier had produced aircraft engines for Siemens. By 2011, about 56% of BMW-brand vehicles produced are powered by petrol engines and the remaining 44% are powered by diesel engines. Of those petrol vehicles, about 27% are four-cylinder models and about nine percent are eight-cylinder models. On average, 9,000 vehicles per day exit BMW plants, and 63% are transported by rail. Annual production since 2005, according to BMW's annual reports: Annual sales and deliveries since 1972, according to BMW's annual reports: * In 2008–2012, motorcycle productions figures include Husqvarna models.
** Excluding Husqvarna, sales volume up to 2013: 59,776 units.

Recalls

In November 2016, BMW recalled 136,000 2007–2012 model year U.S. cars for fuel pump wiring problems possibly resulting in fuel leak and engine stalling or restarting issues. In 2018, BMW recalled 106,000 diesel vehicles in South Korea with a defective exhaust gas recirculation module, which caused 39 engine fires. The recall was then expanded to 324,000 more cars in Europe. Following the recall in South Korea, the government banned cars which had not yet been inspected from driving on public roads. This affected up to 25% of the recalled cars, where the owners had been notified but the cars had not yet been inspected. BMW is reported to have been aware since 2016 that more than 4% of the affected cars in South Korea had experienced failures in the EGR coolers, leading to approximately 20 owners suing the company.

Industry collaboration

BMW has collaborated with other car manufacturers on the following occasions: *

McLaren Automotive McLaren Automotive ( ; formerly known as McLaren Cars) is a British luxury Automotive industry, automotive Manufacturing, manufacturer based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The main products of the company are sports cars, ...

: BMW designed and produced the V12 engine that powered the

McLaren F1 The McLaren F1 is a sports car that was the first Motor vehicle type approval, type approved road-going sportscar manufactured by British Formula One team McLaren. It was the last road-legal, series-produced sportscar to win the 24 Hours of Le ...

. *

Groupe PSA Peugeot S.A., trading as Groupe PSA () (formerly PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles and motorcycles under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhal ...

(predecessor to

Stellantis Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automaker formed in 2021 through the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of the Italian–American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group, PSA (Peugeot S.A.) Group. The company's hea ...

): Joint production of four-cylinder petrol engines, beginning in 2004. *

Daimler Benz Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Daimler-B ...

: Joint venture to produce the hybrid drivetrain components used in the

ActiveHybrid 7 The BMW 7 Series is a full-size luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by the German automaker BMW since 1977. It is the successor to the BMW E3 "New Six" sedan and is now in its seventh generation. The 7 Series is BMW's flagship car and is onl ...

. Development of automated driving technology. *

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

: Three-part agreement in 2013 to jointly develop

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen fuel, hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most bat ...

technology, develop a joint platform for a sports car (for the 2018

BMW Z4 (G29) The BMW Z4 (G29) is a roadster produced by German automobile manufacturer BMW. It was introduced in 2018 for the 2019 model year as a successor to the E89 Z4. As a fifth model in the lineage, the Z4 (G29) marks the return of the soft-top roof t ...

and

Toyota Supra is a sports car and grand tourer manufactured and developed by the Toyota Motor Corporation beginning in 1978. The name " supra" is a definition from the Latin prefix, meaning "above", "to surpass" or "go beyond". The initial four generations ...

) and research lithium-air batteries. *

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...

and Mercedes: Joint purchase of Nokia's

Here WeGo Here We Go (stylised HERE WeGo) is a web mapping and satellite navigation software available on the Web and mobile platforms, operated by Here Technologies which is owned by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It is based on Here's location data pl ...

(formerly Here Maps) in 2015. *In 2018, Horizn Studios collaborated with BMW to launch special luggage editions.

Sponsorships

BMW made a six-year sponsorship deal with the

United States Olympic Committee The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) for the United States. It was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado ...

in July 2010. In golf, BMW has sponsored various events, including the

PGA Championship The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. The PGA is one of the four men's major golf champi ...

since 2007, the Italian Open from 2009 to 2012, the

BMW Masters The BMW Masters was a golf tournament played annually at Lake Malaren Golf Club, in Luodian, Shanghai, China. The tournament began in 2011 and became a European Tour event in 2012. It was dropped from the European Tour in 2016. In 2011, the tou ...

in China from 2012 to 2015 and the

BMW International Open The BMW International Open is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour held in Germany. History Founded in 1989, it was held near BMW's home city of Munich every year until 2012. From 1989 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2011 ...

in Munich since 1989. In

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

, BMW sponsored the

South Africa national rugby union team The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks (colloquially the Boks, Bokke or Amabhokobhoko) is the country's national team governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jersey ...

from 2011 to 2015.

Car-sharing services

DriveNow was a joint-venture between BMW and Sixt that operated in Europe from 2011 until 2019. By December 2012, DriveNow operated over 1,000 vehicles, in five cities and with approximately 60,000 customers. In 2012, the BMW-owned subsidiary Alphabet began a corporate car-sharing service in Europe called AlphaCity. The ReachNow car-sharing service was launched in Seattle in April 2016. ReachNow currently operates in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

and

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. In 2018, BMW announced the launching of a pilot car

subscription service The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a Product (business), product or Service (business), service. The model Publication by subscription, was pioneer ...

for the United States called Access by BMW (its first one for the country), in

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, Tennessee. In January 2021, the company said that Access by BMW was "suspended".

Overseas subsidiaries

Production facilities

China

The first BMW production facility in China was opened in 2004, as a result of a joint venture between BMW and

Brilliance Auto Huachen Automotive Group Holdings Co. Ltd., known by its brand name Brilliance Auto Group, is a Chinese multinational automobile manufacturer holding company headquartered in Shenyang. Its products include automobiles, microvans, and automotive c ...

. The plant was opened in the

industrial area and produces 3 Series and 5 Series models for the Chinese market. In 2012, a second factory was opened in Shenyang. Between January and November 2014, BMW sold 415,200 vehicles in China, through a network of over 440 BMW stores and 100 Mini stores. On 7 October 2021, BMW announced it would begin additional production of the X5 in China. In February 2022, BMW invested an additional $4.2 billion into the Chinese joint venture, increasing its stake from 50% to 75%, becoming one of the first foreign automakers holding majority stake in China. In June 2022, BMW announced a new plant project in Lydia, Shenyang designed for electric vehicles. It will become BMW Group's largest single project in China, costing 15 billion yuan (2.13 billion euros). The investment amount was raised by a further 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in November 2022, following German Chancellor

Olaf Scholz Olaf Scholz (; born 14 June 1958) is a German politician who served as the Chancellor of Germany from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD), he previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Ge ...

's visit to China.

Hungary

On 31 July 2018, BMW announced to build a 1 billion euro car factory in Hungary. The plant, to be built near

Debrecen Debrecen ( ; ; ; ) is Hungary's cities of Hungary, second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Regions of Hungary, region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the large ...

, will have a production capacity of 150,000 cars a year.

Mexico

In July 2014, BMW announced it was establishing a plant in Mexico, in the city and state of

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí. It ...

involving an investment of $1 billion. The plant will employ 1,500 people, and produce 150,000 cars annually.

Netherlands

The Mini Convertible,

Mini Countryman The Mini Countryman, also called Mini Crossover in Japan until 2024, is a subcompact crossover SUV, the first vehicle of this type to be launched by BMW under the Mini marque. It was launched in 2010 and received a facelift in 2014. The sec ...

and BMW X1 are currently produced in the Netherlands at the

VDL Nedcar VDL Nedcar is an automotive manufacturing company in Born, Netherlands. It is the largest automotive factory in the country, with a production capacity of 240,000 vehicles a year. Since December 2012 it has been owned by the Dutch industrial ...

factory in

Born Born may refer to: * Childbirth * Born (surname), a surname (see also for a list of people with the name) * ''Born'' (comics), a comic book limited series Places * Born, Belgium, a village in the German-speaking Community of Belgium * Born, Luxe ...

. Long-term orders for the Mini Countryman ended in 2020.

South Africa

BMWs have been assembled in South Africa since 1968, when Praetor Monteerders' plant was opened in Rosslyn, near

Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...

. BMW initially bought shares in the company, before fully acquiring it in 1975; in so doing, the company became ''BMW South Africa'', the first wholly owned subsidiary of BMW to be established outside Germany. Unlike United States manufacturers, such as Ford and GM, which divested from the country in the 1980s, BMW retained full ownership of its operations in South Africa. Following the end of

apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

in 1994, and the lowering of import tariffs, BMW South Africa ended local production of the 5 Series and 7 Series, in order to concentrate on production of the 3 Series for the export market. South African–built BMWs are now exported to

right hand drive Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes called the ' ...

markets including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, as well as

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

. Since 1997, BMW South Africa has produced vehicles in

left-hand drive Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes called the ' ...

for export to Taiwan, the United States and Iran, as well as South America. Three unique models that

BMW Motorsport BMW M Motorsport (formerly BMW Motorsport) is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sports car racing, motorcycle racing. The current organisation is a ...

created for the South African market were the E23 M745i (1983), which used the M88 engine from the

BMW M1 The BMW M1 (model code E26) is a Mid-engine design, mid-engined sports car produced by German automotive manufacturer BMW from 1978 until 1981. In the late 1970s, Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini entered into an agreement with BMW to ...

, the BMW 333i (1986), which added a six-cylinder 3.2-litre M30 engine to the E30, and the E30 BMW 325is (1989) which was powered by an

Alpina Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH & Co. KG is an automobile manufacturing company based in Buchloe, in the Ostallgäu district of Bavaria, Germany that develops and sells high-performance versions of BMW cars. Alpina works closely with BMW and t ...

-derived 2.7-litre engine. The plant code (position 11 in the VIN) for South African built models is "N".

United States

BMW cars have been officially sold in the United States since 1956 and manufactured in the United States since 1994. The first BMW dealership in the United States opened in 1975. In 2016, BMW was the twelfth highest selling brand in the United States. The manufacturing plant in

Greer, South Carolina Greer is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, Greenville and Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Spartanburg counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 35,308, making ...

has the highest production of the BMW plants worldwide, currently producing approximately 1,500 vehicles per day. The models produced at the Spartanburg plant are the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 and XM SUV models. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW's North American companies include sales, marketing, design, and financial services operations in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Latin America.

Complete knock-down assembly facilities

Brazil

On 9 October 2014, BMW's new

(CKD) assembly plant in Araquari, assembled its first car— an F30 3 Series. The cars assembled at Araquari are the F20 1 Series, F30 3 Series, F48 X1, F25 X3 and Mini Countryman.

Egypt

Bavarian Auto Group became the importer of the BMW and Mini brands in 2003. Since 2005, the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1 and X3 models sold in Egypt are assembled from

components at the BMW plant in Cairo.

India

BMW India was established in 2006 as a sales subsidiary with a head office located in

Gurugram Gurgaon (), officially named Gurugram (), is a satellite city of Delhi and administrative headquarters of Gurgaon district, located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest o ...

. A BMW complete knock-down assembly plant was opened in

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

in 2007, assembling Indian-market 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3, X5, Mini Countryman and motorcycle models. The 20 Million

Euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...

plant aims to produce 1,700 cars per year.

Indonesia

PT. BMW Indonesia was established in 2001 as a subsidiary with a head office located in

Central Jakarta Central Jakarta (, ), abbreviated as Jakpus, is one of the five Cities of Indonesia, administrative cities () and ''de facto'' Capital City of the Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 census ...

. It was managed by PT. Astra International. 10 years later in 2011, BMW Group invested more than 100 Billion

Indonesian rupiah The rupiah (Currency symbol, symbol: Rp; ISO 4217, currency code: IDR) is the official currency of Indonesia, issued and controlled by Bank Indonesia. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word for silver, (). Sometimes, Indonesians also inform ...

to expand its production, by establish the

(CKD) assembly plant in Gaya Motor's production facility in

Sunter, Jakarta Sunter is a neighborhood in North Jakarta, Indonesia. The neighborhood corresponds roughly with the ''Sunter Agung'' and ''Sunter Jaya'' administrative village () of Tanjung Priok subdistrict of North Jakarta. Zip code of the area is 14350. Th ...

. the plant is currently assembling Indonesian-market 2 Series (gran coupé), 3 Series (sedan), 5 Series (sedan), 7 Series, X1, X3, X5, X7, and

Malaysia

BMW's

(CKD) assembly plant in

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...

. Assembled Malaysia-market 1 Series,

, 7 Series, X1, X3, X4, X5, X6 and Mini Countryman since 2008.

Russia

Russian-market 3 Series and 5 Series cars are assembled from complete knock-down components in

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad,. known as Königsberg; ; . until 1946, is the largest city and administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast, an Enclave and exclave, exclave of Russia between Lithuania and Poland ( west of the bulk of Russia), located on the Prego ...

beginning in 1999. In March 2022, BMW withdrew from the Russian market and ceased production within Russia in response to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

Uruguay

In Uruguay, Spanish-born businessman José Arijón founded Convex (later Camur), which assembled BMW cars from 1965 to 1992. Four models were produced: the

1600 In the Gregorian calendar, it was the first century leap year and the last until the year 2000. Events January–March * January 1 – Scotland adopts January 1 as New Year's Day instead of March 25. * January 20 – Hugh O'Neill, Earl of ...

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

and

, totalling 12,000 units.

Vehicle importers

Canada

BMW's first dealership in Canada, located in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, was opened in 1969. In 1986, BMW established a head office in Canada. BMW sold 28,149 vehicles in Canada in 2008.

Japan

BMW Japan Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary, imports and distributes BMW vehicles in Japan.

Philippines

BMW Philippines, an owned subsidiary of

San Miguel Corporation San Miguel Corporation (), abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine multinational conglomerate with headquarters in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines. Originally fo ...

, is the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines. BMW sold 920 vehicles in the Philippines in 2019.

Korea

BMW Korea imports BMW vehicles in South Korea with more than fifty service centers to fully cater to South Korean customers. Also, BMW Korea has its own driving center in near

Incheon International Airport Incheon International Airport is the main international airport serving Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It is also one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. This airport opened for business on 29 March 2001, to replace the old ...

Criticism

BMW has received criticism for attempting to lock vehicle hardware features behind subscription fees. In 2018, BMW stated at the Detroit Auto Show that they will start charging users a subscription fee for Apple Car Play. After receiving widespread criticism, BMW removed the subscription. In 2022, BMW announced that they will start charging owners $18 a month to use heated seats. They removed the feature in 2023 after it was criticised.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:BMW 1916 establishments in Germany Aircraft engine manufacturers of Germany Car brands Car manufacturers of Germany Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1916 Manufacturing companies established in 1916 Companies in the Euro Stoxx 50 Companies in the DAX index Diesel engine manufacturers Emergency services equipment makers German companies established in 1916 German brands Legacy electric vehicle manufacturers Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers Motorcycle manufacturers of Germany Multinational companies headquartered in Germany Quandt family Companies involved in the Holocaust