HISTORY OF BMW
Many of the popular auto manufacturers we know today got their start manufacturing other sorts of engines, and BMW is no different. Opened in 1913 as Rapp Motorenwerke (Motorworks) in a former bicycle factory, the company originally manufactured airplane engines. After World War I, and the treaty of Versailles, German manufacturers were required to cease construction of planes, and the company changed gears, and began building motorcycles instead.
BMW 1920s and 1930s
In 1928, eight years after the shift from airplanes to motorbikes, BMW bought a small car factory at Eisenach/Thuringia and the license to construct a small car, the Dixi 3/15. This was the very first BMW automobile.
Designed as a direct competitor of the Austin 7, but with licensing from that company, the first Dixis were open-roof cars with 743cc 4-cylinder engines, pushing out 15 horsepower and gaining a top speed of about 50mph. The Dixi 3/15 PS was essentially the German version of the US Bantam and Japanese Datsun, all built under license from Austin. A newer version, the DA/2 was launched the next year, featuring 4-wheel brakes and an all-steel body, and a year after that, in 1930, the car scored its first wins in motor racing.
BMW kept growing throughout the 1930s, partly thanks to sales of their air-cooled radial engine, which had a noteworthy power-to-weight ratio, and to their winning performance in the 6,000 miles Alpine Rally, a race through four countries. The 3/20PS was launched in 1932, powered by a 782cc 4-cylinder engine that featured suspended valves and a double chain driving the camshafts, to produce 20 horsepower (though the top speed was still 50 mph). This was the first BMW to be developed entirely in Munich, and is also known as the AM 4. This car would win the Concours d’Elegance in Baden-Baden.
1933 saw the 303 saloon introduced, powered by BMW’s first inline-six engine, a system that still forms the basis of modern BMW engines. This was also the first BMW to sport the distinctive radiator grilles also still in use today. With these features, as well as a welded tubular steel frame and rack-and-pinion steering, the model quickly became a benchmark for technological achievements.
Following the 303 came the 315/1 roadster in 1934 (sleek for its time with low cut doors, and powered by a 1.5 liter inline-six engine) the 326 in 1935 (available as a saloon or a two- or four-door convertible) and the 328 in 1936, which would go on to become a racing legend, proving itself unbeatable in international races in the two-liter class, and eventually being nominated for the Car of the Century. In 1937, the 327 came onto the market out of order, offered in a coupe or cabriolet style, and built on a shortened version of the 326 chassis.
BMW 1940s and 1950s
During the early 1940s, BMW took over the Brandenburgische Motorenwerke company in Berlin, as well as two factories near that city. During this time, development continued on the 328, and a streamlined version of it made from ultra-light aluminum and magnesium alloy carried Baron Fritz Huschke von Kanstein to a Mille Miglia victory in 1940, but a year later, production on BMW cars was stopped, and motorcycle and aircraft production were devoted to the German war effort.
The halt on automobile production would last to the end of the decade, due to World War II, and a subsequent ban on German engine production, and in 1948 the first British car companies would develop licensed models based on earlier BMW platforms.
The next BMW to be produced would not arrive until 1951, and it came in the form of the 501 luxury sedan which was powered by a V8 engine, but in a country still recovering from war, demand was low, and sales were dismal. Nevertheless the 500-series cars, which were expanded to include the 502 in 1954, became the mainstay of the company’s auto division for the next thirteen years, and included the use of the world’s first light-alloy V8 engine.
The 500-series expanded again mid-decade, with the addition of the 507, which car is generally recognized as the BMW of its era. Inspired by Max Hoffman, an American importer who told BMW he could sell large quantities of high-performance sports cars if the company could produce them, and designed in under a year by Albrecht Goertz, the 507 was limited to 252 production units, and was powered by the then-new 3.2-liter V8 engine first used in the 502, but pushing out 150 hp.
The 507 is probably the most widely recognised classic BMW of the 1950s. Like it’s great rival the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, it was inspired by the US importer Max Hoffmann, who told BMW that he could sell a high-performance sports car in large quantities if the company could deliver. Designed in less than a year by Albrecht Goertz, the BMW 507 is a very exclusive sports car: only a total of 252 are built. Most of the work is carried out by hand, customised to meet each buyer’s wishes. Its timeless good looks, with a sleek silhouette, supple curves and expansive bonnet, guarantee that it remains the embodiment of the dream car to this day. The power unit was the then new 150 hp V8 of the 502 3.2-liter super, with an additional 10 hp.
Despite the new engine and the new 507, BMW was faltering as the fifties drew to a close, mainly due to significant losses in their limousine sector. A merger with Daimler-Benz was considered but instead Board Chairman Kurt Golda joined forces with the employees and trade unions and convinced majority shareholder Herbert Quandt that the company had a future. The merger was rejected, and BMW went on to produce the 700 model, the first automobile to have a unitary body – one in which the roof, floor, and side walls are all welded to the main occupant cell.
By July, 1960, 20,000 BMW 700s had been produced, each powered by the R67 motorcycle engine mounted in the rear, based on a design by Giovanni Michelotti, and available as a 2-door sedan and 2+2 coupe. A racing version called the 700RS was used in many German rally and hill-climbing events.
In 1961, the BMW 1500 was launched. This was the company’s first “sporty” sedan, and the fresh design and excellent suspension, as well as the introduction of the now-classic forward curve at the base of the C column, led to a decided upswing in sales and prominence. Over the next two years, the BMW 1800 evolved as a ten-hp-stronger version of the 1500, and the 1600 emerged (out of numerical order) sharing components of both.
In 1965, BMW sold its engine plant in Allach, ending their work in jet engine construction for what would turn out to be 25 years. A year later, with the launch of the afore-mentioned 1600, sporting frameless side windows, two doors, and a smooth, sleek surface (which would form the basis of the 3-series), BMW celebrated its 50th anniversary. The same year, Alexander von Falkenhausen, head of BMW Motors, created a new engine: a 16-valve version of the 2-liter BMW 2000 TI that produced 260 hp, which provided BMW a ticket into Formula Two racing, where drivers like Hubert Hahne, Jacky Ickx, Dieter Quester, and Jo Siffert all represented the brand.
During the rest of the decade, BMW would built a convertible model of the 1600 (though very few were ever imported to the United States) as well as launching its upsized “New Six” sedans, including the 2500, 2800, and American Bavaria, the coupes (2.5 and 2800 CS), and the 2000tii, in which the second “i” stands for injection and the engine provides 130 bhp.
BMW 1970s and 1980s
By the dawn of the 1970s, BMW had achieved commercial success. During the early part of the decade, the company moved into new headquarters, which are still in use today, and as early as 1971 the BMW 3.0 Si was reaching speeds of 200 km/h with little effort. Six-cylinder engines were incorporated into the new line of coupes, and the 3.0 CSL light construction coupe garnered a lot of attention on both road and racetrack with its provided horsepower reaching from 180 to 206.
It was also in the 70s that the BMW 5 series (named because it was the fifth series after the V-8 and Isetta era) was presented. Code named E12, these car were designed primarily for the American market. Both the 520 and the 520i were four-door sedans with carbureted and fuel injected four-cylinder engines.
Other highlights of the 1970s include the founding of BMW Motorsport, which was created to facilitate BMW’s successful racing program, the construction of a new factory in South Africa, and the introduction of the BMW 2002 Turbo, one of the first mass-produced turbos in the world. As well, two subsidiaries were opened, one in France, and the other in the United States.
The BMW 3 series was launched in the second half of the decade, and was a direct successor to the 2002 Turbo. Known as the E21 there were four versions: 316, 318 320, and 320i, though more powerful models were licensed and sold by Alpina. The 6 series (E24) would also be introduced, in the form of a high-quality, luxury sport-coupe, and hosting an array of sensors that did everything from checking oil pressure to wear and tear on the brake pad. This “check control” test panel has become a signature of the brand. The E23 (7 Series) would follow soon after, as a full-size luxury sedan replacing the E3 cars.
Other highlights of the decade include becoming the first manufacturer to offer professional driver training, and the development of Digital Motor Electronics, a microcomputer that synchronized ignition and fuel injection for fuel savings, lower emissions and improved engine performance.
In the early 1980s, BMW increased their expansion plans, becoming the first European automaker to enter the Asian market, establishing a subsidiary in Japan.
They also launched the E30 3 Series, which was an upgraded version of the E21 rather than a true redesign, though it did have an improved rear suspension. The 5 Series was also refreshed, this time as an E28 with more engine choices, but not many styling changes. It was available as a 528e or “eta” in the United States.
The 80s saw BMWs first Formula One wins, as well as their first use of diesel engines. In 1985 the M5 was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show. The car, which looked like a sedan and performed like a sports car, was based on a 535i chassis and had a power output of 286bhp, making it (at the time) the fastest sedan in the world. The same year, BMW produced the 325 iX, their first car with four-wheel drive, and introduced the BMW Z1 prototype.
In 1986, the M3 was launched. The first version produced 195bhp while others were upgraded to 238bhp. The E30 M3 would eventually be called one of the most successful touring cars in history. Other new offerings included expansions to the 7 Series with the luxury, four-door sedan E32, and the introduction of the 745i, Europe’s first car with a liquid hydrogen tank.
Later in the decade, BMW would refresh the 5 Series again, with the launch of the E32, which had a straight-six engine, and also came in an M5 version that produced a whopping 315 bhp. The 8 Series was also launched, which was aimed at the luxury sport coupe market. Cars in this series include the E31 850i, which has a 5 liter V-12 engine and produced 300 bhp.
By the end of the decade, BMW had produced their 500,000th car.
BMW The 1990s
BMW began the 90s with a renewal of their 3 Series. They began with the E36, which was launched first as a sedan. It came in four versions, all of which had the new six-cylinder, 24-valve engine previously used in the E34 5 Series. Soon to follow were diesel models of both the 3 and 5 Series cars.
New eight-cylinder versions of the 7 series cars were introduced and then the 3 Series received another update, this time to the body, with the introduction of convertibles, and compacts (a coupe with a chopped off trunk lid), and with smaller engines to reduce cost (though it still didn’t qualify for budget car insurance). At the same time, the 5 Series car were getting larger engines, like the 530i which produced 218bhp and the 540i which developed 282bhp.
Other highlights of the 1990s include BMWs acquisition of the Rover Group, bringing Rover, Mini, Land Rover and Austin, Morris Riley and Triumph under the Bavarian company’s ownership. As well, construction was completed on a new plant in Spartanburg, SC.
As the decade wore on there were continued updates to the 3 and 5 Series cars, but in the end of the decade, BMW formed a partnership with Rolls Royce as part of an end run around Volkswagen. VW had purchased the company, the “Spirit of Ecstasy” mascot and the shape of the radiator grille but not the rights to use the name. By forming a partnership with the aero-engine part of Rolls Royce, which retained the name, BMW was allowed to use the name and “RR” logo. By 2003, Volkswagen had ceased even its limited production of Rolls-Royce branded cars.
Finally, just as the millennium turned, BMW produced their first SUV. Built in South Carolina, the E53 X5 had limited off-road capabilities and was advertised as an SAV (sports activity vehicle). Initial engine offerings included the 4.4 liter V8, and a 3.0 liter straight six.
BMW Today
Development continues to this day on the 3, 5, and 7 series cars, though the 2000’s have also seen the expansion of the M cars, and the introduction of a new crossover vehicle, the X series, which is based on a 3 Series platform, and comes with a diesel option outside the United States.
While BMW has not embraced the terminology attached to green engineering, they’ve been experimenting with hydrogen technology since the 1970s, and is a charter member of the United States’ Environmental Protection Act (EPA) National Environmental Achievement Track, which recognizes major corporations for stewardship of the Earth.
Technological innovation has been an important part of the BMW platform since the company’s founding, and is just part of the reason their vintage cars are just as popular as newer models
