Exploring the BMW Journey from 1916 to 2021

What is the History of the BMW Brand?

Here at Freeman Motor Company, we offer several popular brands for you to choose from. This includes the well-loved German automotive brand, BMW. If you want to learn more about the BMW brand, then you have come to the right place. As automotive enthusiasts, we are here to share the history of the BMW brand! Keep reading to see how far this German automaker has come!

[ Related post: Watch fun video about the history of Mercedes-Benz ]

Over 100 years as a successful company…

On March 7^th, 1916, the story of BMW began. At first, it was known as Bayerische Flufzuegwerke until the name was later changed to Bayerische Motoren Werke, or BMW, the name that we all know today. In 1917, they created the iconic blue and white logo. While we know BMW as an automotive brand, they actually started out as an aircraft manufacturing company. Their main products included aircraft engines, motorcycles, and automobiles. However, during World War II, they focused on producing aircraft engines and motorcycles on the side while ceasing automobile production.  Many of their factories were heavily bombed and the remaining factories were banned from producing automobiles.

During this ban, BMW focused on pots, pans and bicycles! In 1951, however, BMW released their first vehicle post-war. This helped re-establish BMW as an automotive company. Over the years, the company worked to make it onto the market of compact, inexpensive cars. Although they faced some struggles, they eventually found success in 1962 with the introduction of the BMW New Class compact sedans. BMW continued to grow their compact sedan class, as well as add a mid-size range and make their first road car.

The 20^th century showed that BMW had earned its spot as a top automotive brand. As technology continues to advance in the 21^st century, BMW has stayed in line with these changed by introducing their first hybrid in 2010, its first electric car in 2013, and its first front-wheel drive car in 2014. BWM continues to be successful with over 50,000 vehicles being exported to Japan, USA, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East every year.

[ Read more: From a Welsh beach to mastering all terrains: Land Rover’s incredible history! ]

Find BMW models at Freeman Motor Company

Now that you have read about the brief history of BMW, make sure you check out our selection in the Freeman Motor Company online inventory. However, if you want to learn more about other brands that we offer, check out our other blog posts!