[GrussGott]

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BusinessInsider has a great retrospective of BMW over 100 years ... for the lazy:

The Bavarian Motor Works story begins with aircraft engines. Their IIIa radial engine quickly gained a reputation for being one of the best and most reliable of its time. Orders from the German government flooded in, overwhelming the small factory.



Now about that logo: While it is widely known as the "propeller," the blue and white center was meant to represent the Bavarian flag. It was designed by the brother of Karl Rapp, who founded BMW predecessor company Rapp Motorenwerke.



After the company was barred from building military-aircraft engines following World War I, BMW produced its first motorcycle, the R32, in 1923. It was very innovative. While they are rarely sold, recent prices for R32s at auction include $163,000 for a 1924 model in 2009 and a $139,000 in 2011 for a 1925 model.



BMW built its first production car in 1928, the 3/15. It was a licensed copy of the British-designed Austin 7.



Investing in car-manufacturing was fueled by BMW's failure to find significant profit in making civilian-aircraft engines. This was despite the fact that its engines, such as the 132 Hornet, were excellent.A Junkers JU 52, powered by three BMW 132 engines. The 132 was developed from the American-built Pratt & Whitney Hornet.



The BMW 303 was also a significant first for the company: It is the origin of the famous kidney grille, still featured on all of their cars today.



The first six-cylinder car from BMW was the 328. It began an immensely successful racing tradition ...



... which included an overall win by the 328 at the 1940 Mille Miglia — one of only three wins by a non-Italian make in the epic race's 30-year history.



Once the Nazis came to power, BMW again began producing military equipment. Forced laborers built machines that fueled the German war effort — most were prisoners of war or inmates of the nearby Dachau concentration camp.



After the allies triumphed, BMW's plant was left in ruin, and the company spent the next decade on the verge of collapse.



The Isetta, designed by Italian refrigerator company Iso, was license-built by BMW from 1955 to 1962. The single-cylinder car saw only moderate success, but it was enough to get the ball rolling again.



BMW returned to developing their immensely powerful supercharged motorcycles after the war. Wilhelm Noll and Fritz Crohn won the Sidecar World Championship (which remains to this day an actual thing) on a BMW RS54 in 1954 and 1956.



What was the big deal with BMW motorcycles? It's all about the way the engine was mounted. Positioning the cylinders transversely (or sticking out of the sides) meant better cooling and allowed for a more compact bike. The "boxer" layout remains to this day on BMW motorcycles. Since the very beginning, BMW motorcycles have also used a drive shaft rather than a chain or belt.



Stunning as it is, the BMW 507 was a spectacular commercial flop. After production costs skyrocketed, BMW had to pull the plug before the program dragged the entire company into bankruptcy. Only 252 were ever built. But don't feel sorry for the lovely 507: The surviving cars will fetch $2 million to $3 million at auction today, while the car has lived on in spirit in the more than 75 years of BMW roadsters that followed it.



Introduced in 1961, the BMW 1500 was the first of the "New Class," a trifecta of models that definitively secured BMW's financial success as a carmaker. Many of the styling cues on this model inspired the next 55 years of their design language.



From the New Class came the 02 series, which included the 2002 turbo, to this day one of the most beloved BMWs ever.



Another great BMW: the 3.0 CSL. This is a racing variant and one of BMWs famous "art cars." American sculptor Alexander Calder painted this one.



A Bavarian Tesla? This 1972 BMW 1602 is indeed fully electric. But without the battery technology of today, the 1602 used nearly 800 pounds of traditional lead-acid car batteries packed under the hood.



Though even the company's current 'i' line is seeing only limited success, BMW has toyed with fully electric cars for a long, long time.



In 1975 BMW launched the 3 Series, and in the 41 years and five generations since, the car remains just about the quintessential luxurious, sporty set of wheels.



The M1: BMW's first mid-engine car and their only supercar to date — 453 were built from 1978 to 1981.



In 1986, BMW put the engine from the M1 into their E28 5 Series sedan (left). Thus the "M" car — and the entire concept of the "businessman's express," or high-performance sedan — was born. To this day the M5 is widely praised as being the best of its type.



The BMW Z1 roadster will forever be remembered for one thing: Its electronic, slide-down doors.



Here's how they worked ... Awesome, right?

Bond in a Bimmer: For a three-movie stretch in the 1990s, James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan) drove a BMW Z3, this Z8, and a massive, V16 powered (... yes, V16) 750iL. The Z8, designed by Henrik Fisker, was heavily inspired by the great 507 roadster.



In 1994, BMW acquired the British Rover group, which included the MINI brand. In 2001, they launched a redesigned Cooper, which would be followed by ...



... a growing lineup of cars, including the Clubman, Countryman, Paceman, and many versions of the classic Mini Cooper.



They also acquired the Rolls-Royce brand in 1998 from Volkswagen.



BMW has made several attempts at success in Formula One — the best period being in the early 2000s with the Williams F1 team.



As for motorcycles, BMW still churns out epic machines like this HP4.



The first M3 arrived in 1985. While it has always played second fiddle to the M5, it is still a force unto itself.



Announced just this year, the new BMW M2 — sure to make drivers happy as only an M car can.



Today's BMW lineup includes SUVs like this X6M ...



... or crossovers like this X1 ...



... and the range-topping 7-Series sedan, which is a luxuriously appointed living-room-on-wheels and a runner-up for BI's 2015 Car of the Year ...



... and the i3, an all-electric city car and the smallest of BMW's young "i" line of electric or electric-hybrid cars. It is so far the third-best-selling electric car on the market, behind only the Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf.



At the top end of the "i" range is the i8, a hybrid sports car that looks like a futuristic version of M1. Business Insider loved it.



BMW has an uncommon ability to create the automotive style and technology of the future while remaining linked to its own decorated past.



So where to next? BMW chief Harald Krüger introduced the "Vision Next 100" concept at the Geneva Motor show this year as an educated guess at what the BMW a century from now will look like. We shall see.

[sygazelle]

Thanks for sharing. It's been a great ride so far for BMW. I did not know that the 507 almost killed the company.

I lost my train of thought when I got to two beemers being reined by the girl in the white bikini.

[JNoSol]

Love it.

[bimmermaus650]

a great read! thanks

[Gonven]

This is why i admire BMW brand

[fourscore]

I was also sidetracked by bikini girl for a while there..

Great write up, succinct and full of info..

[rr006rbc]

I love that epic pic of the rider dragging knee while throwing a thumbs up hahah so bad ass. (assuming it's not CG)

[desertfox73]

Nice tribute. Hate to be "that guy", but the "X6M" image shown here is actually an X5M. There is a very distinct curved rear quarter panel crease in the X6M, which is missing from the photo above.

[doccyber]

Great write up.

[sixburgh]

Thanks for sharing. Well done.

[duky]

Somehow this long read managed not to be boring. Thanks for sharing -- what a wild ride! I wish BMW would make a new Z8 for today.

Also I never knew the 750iL was V16? Was that true for production model or just something about the version used in the movie?

[F83]

Wasn't this post originally posted in the SSOTT? We are making the big time thanks to you GrussGott !

[.BMW.]

Thanks for sharing GrussGott!

[Dackelone]

Nice thread GrussGott


Here are a few more "classic BMW AG pics" from my collection. In no particular order, Enjoy...

[b0ssm3]

Wow just feels awesome to learn so much history! BMW is indeed a remarkable automobile brand!

[Flying Ace]

They seemed to have glossed over the first BMW delivery at London...

[Blackcross]

BMW had much better results in F1 was in the 1980s: their engines produced well over 1500 hp in qualifying trim and powered championships and wins for Brabhams and Benetton oh and Arrows too.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

First BMW delivery at London...

alright, I know there's some inaccuricies in my post. The HE-111s were running a Jumo engine during Battle of Britain. I couldn't find a suitable photo of a Ju-88 or FW-190 over England...so those will have to suffice.

[raysspl]

Wow wow wow wow. Fantastic breakdown of BMW history!

[Luv2]

Great read and pics ! Being new to the brand, it was very informative.