BMW is among the renowned auto brands, established in 1916 in Munich, Germany. Over the long period, BMW has progressed significantly and has surpassed in offering top-class vehicle designs and features. If you are a fan of BMW vehicles, then read on to gain useful insight into the brand with the detailed BMW facts below.
FUN FACTS ABOUT BMW
All those who claim to know BMW really well, are in a ride with these cool facts about BMW.
ACRONYM OF BMW
BMW was originally named “Bayerische Flugzeugwerke” which was referred to as BFW. The name meant Bavarian plane manufacturing. In 1917, the company changed the name to “Bayerische Motoren Werke,” (BMW) which means Bavarian Motor Works in English.
Besides, if you want to decode the BMW naming system of some of your favourite brand’s models, then read on.
BMW LOGO DESIGN
One of the interesting facts about BMW is that many believe that its logo is a propeller, an inspiration taken from its aeroplane engine. However, this is not the case. The colours in the logo actually represent BMW’s hometown flag i.e. Bavaria, Germany. BMW was founded in this state and there is no other meaning of this auto brand logo.
BMW BUILT AIRCRAFT ENGINES
German aeroplanes were very few at the time of World War I. Then BMW stepped forward and initiated its production. Very few people know that BMW started as an aeroplane engine manufacturer and had built a repute in the aviation industry.
THE SLOGAN
BMW’s famous slogan reads ‘the ultimate driving machine’. This slogan has been used in marketing campaigns and collateral for more than 35 years. In fact, it is still valid today.
BMW HEADQUARTER MIMICS A MOTOR ENGINE
BMW headquarter in Germany was built in 1972. The tower mimics the design of its four-cylinder car engine.
The BMW Tower was envisioned to resemble a four-cylinder motor
THE COMPANY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A CENTURY
You would have done the math when we first mentioned the founding year of BMW. It was established in 1916 and it has crossed the century mark in 2016.
TREATY OF VERSAILLES
After the Treaty of Versailles, BMW switched to making automobiles because it stipulated that no more warplanes or warplane engines would be manufactured. The company started manufacturing motorcycles in 1928. BMW then initiated automobile manufacturing and reached the peak of success in the industry.
THE FIRST MOTORCYCLE
The first BMW motorcycle was launched in the year 1923, namely R32. The motorcycle came with a flat-twin boxer engine, which is still used by BMW Motorrad with various engine configurations.
FASTEST MOTORCYCLE
The fastest motorcycle in the world was launched by BMW in 1937. This was an aerodynamic motorcycle with speed capacity of 278 km per hour.
BMW STILL PRODUCES WWII-ERA PARTS
BMW still manufactures parts for its vehicles from the 1940s era. In case you want to buy a used BMW in the UAE that’s old, you don’t have to worry about the original parts.
The company bought back its first factory in Munich, in order to have its service and restoration facilities, parts counter and a showroom at one place. They also store heritage cars and sell restored BMW cars from this Munich facility.
FIRST MANUFACTURER OF ELECTRIC CAR
This is one of the BMW facts that many people might not know. BMW was the first to manufacture the first electric car in 1972, named BMW 1602e. This was initially a prototype in 1969 and was revealed to the public at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The car featured 12 lead-acid batteries connected to an undercarriage pallet. The manual gearbox was replaced by Bosch electric engine and an inner fan was installed to keep the entire setting cool.
However, BMW 1602e never made it to the market for sale, due to low-performance standards as compared to other BMW vehicles. The charge time was also only 20 minutes. Although this model was a failure, it laid the groundwork for the company to manufacture future electric cars.
DESIGNING AEROPLANE AND TRAIN INTERIORS
Although the company stopped manufacturing aeroplane engines, it is designing aircraft interiors. BMW’s industrial design studio, BMW Designworks is responsible for this genre and you can see their work in Singapore Airlines models, Ava Air and Starlux.
Moreover, BMW has been asked by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in San Francisco to replace their old train interiors. Their designs will be revealed in the year 2022 in the 775 new trains that Bombardier Transportation is building.
DIXI – THE FIRST CAR BY BMW
Dixi was the first car by BMW back in 1928 (later named DA-1), which could reach a top speed of 120 km per hour – quite faster than other cars. The mileage was also very economical, giving only 82 km per gallon.
BMW PRODUCED ROLLS-ROYCE
In 1998, BMW obtained Rolls-Royce brand and naming rights from Rolls-Royce plc. The company then opened Rolls-Royce automobile manufacturing plant in England in the year 2003. The first Rolls-Royce car manufactured in this plant was Phantom.
BMW STREET ENGINE WON F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The M10 four-cylinder engine was first used in BMW streetcars that were manufactured in 1972. It was upgraded by their engineers in 1983 for F1 World Championship and the horsepower was increased from 75 to 1400 with some major modifications.
HYBRID SUPERCAR
The conclusive addition to BMW facts is their hybrid supercar brand, the i8. The car features an extraordinarily futuristic design and 420 foot-pounds of torque that provides an impressive acceleration capacity. Given its specifications, the BMW i8 is one of the popular hybrid supercars in Dubai.
That’s all we have about BMW facts to this date. BMW is undoubtedly one of the leading auto brands in the industry. With consistent innovations in integrating the latest technologies, its vehicles are among the top favourites.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog for more exciting facts about different auto brands and their history.
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