| In the fickle automotive industry, manufacturers are | | | | company's involvement in the manufacturing of |
| consistently being pushed to be more innovative, | | | | airplane engines, imposed a three-year ban on |
| attempting to provide a product to a consumer who | | | | production. BMW reemerged as a manufacturer of |
| more often than not, does not really know exactly | | | | kitchen and garden equipment a short time later. It |
| what it is that he wants. Few brand names inspire the | | | | wasn't until 1948 that BMW introduced a new |
| loyalty that they did 20 or even 30 years ago. There is, | | | | motorcycle (R24) and 1952 before a new car was |
| however, at least one company that has managed to | | | | released. Automobile sales in the 1950's, however, |
| hold on to it's distinction as a world class automobile | | | | were lagging and the financial stability of BMW was |
| manufacturer, and is still going strong 79 years after | | | | once more in question. It was in 1959 that the |
| the introduction of it's first automobile. The name of | | | | management team at BMW had all but given up and |
| that company is BMW, known in English as the | | | | suggested the sale of the company to Daimler- Benz. |
| Bavarian Motor Works. | | | | Close to making the agreement, Herbert Quandt, a |
| Synonymous to luxury, high quality, and speed, the | | | | major shareholder instead purchased enough additional |
| BMW brand name is one that is recognized around the | | | | shares in the company to give him a majority holding |
| world as the automobile that everyone eventually | | | | and vetoed the deal. It was later in 1959 that BMW |
| wants to own. | | | | introduced the 700, a sporty model that utilized the 697 |
| While the company seems to have a unbelievable | | | | cc boxer engine from the R67 motorcycle. It was this |
| record of successes, however, few people realize just | | | | model that seemed to seal the future success of the |
| how difficult that road has been. Founded in 1913 by | | | | company. |
| Karl Rapp, the company (known then as | | | | In the early 1960's, the Bavarian Motor Works began |
| Rapp-Motorenwerke) was originally based in an old | | | | focusing on a market that included small touring cars |
| bicycle factory in Munich. Rapp specialized in | | | | and sports sedans. By 1963, the company was once |
| manufacturing engines for aircrafts. Only 4 years later, | | | | more on solid footing and offered dividends to |
| in 1917, however, Rapp's business got into financial | | | | shareholders for the first time since WWII. It was in the |
| trouble and was purchased by Franz-Josef Popp and | | | | mid 1960's that the German plant reached production |
| Max Friz. It was then that the name of the company | | | | capabilities and BMW purchased the Hans Glas GmbH |
| was changed to Bayerische Motoren Werke or as | | | | and it's factories in Dingolfing and Landshut. In the |
| we know it, BMW. | | | | following years, the plants are both restructured and |
| In 1918, the Bavarian Motor Works become a public | | | | soon become the world's largest BMW facility. |
| company and it's first true success came with the | | | | It was also during this period that BMW opened it's first |
| 6-cylinder BMW IIIa, an aircraft engine that took a | | | | manufacturing facility outside of Germany in |
| biplane 5,000 meters into the sky in just under 30 | | | | Spartanburg, South Carolina. Over the next twenty |
| minutes. In 1923 they introduced the first BMW | | | | years, BMW quadrupled production of automobiles |
| motorcycle, the R32. The R32 continued to hold speed | | | | while tripling it's motorcycle production. In 1975, BMW |
| records for roughly the next ten years. | | | | North America was founded and set up corporate |
| In 1928, BMW began manufacturing automobiles and | | | | headquarters in Woodcliff, New Jersey. Today, BMW |
| acquired the Eisenach Vehicle Factory in Germany. | | | | International also operates in Peru, Panama, Indonesia, |
| Specializing in large touring cars and sports cars, BMW | | | | Japan, Philippines, Australia, South Africa, Czech |
| seemed to be on track throughout the 1930's. It was at | | | | Republic, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, |
| this juncture in the company's development that fate | | | | Switzerland, Brazil, Latin America, Israel, Taiwan, New |
| intervened. With the close of WWII, Allied Forces | | | | Zealand, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Colombia |
| quickly dismantled the BMW factories and due to the | | | | and the Middle East. |