The Bavarian engines of works AG, shortened BMW, is an important German manufacturer of cars, motorcycles and engines.

History

Beginning

Predecessors of BMW were the 1913 of Karl Rapp created Rapp of engine works GmbH. They changed their names in April 1917 first in BMW GmbH and one year later, after the transformation into a corporation, in BMW AG. The first managing director was to 1942 Franz Josef Popp. In the young company rising engineer max of Friz made himself a name fast: It invented 1917 an aircraft engine with elevator carburetor. Thus the engine brought achievement also in thinner elevator air. This construction proved so well that BMW received an order over 2.000 engines from the Prussian army administration. On 17 June 1919 with BMW a IIIa was obtained still secretly the world record in altitude by 9,760 meters, but with the end of the First World War and the Versailler contract already the end of the company seemed to have come: The peace treaty forbade it for five years manufacturing in Germany aircraft engines - at that time the only product of BMW -. 1922 left principal shareholder Camillo Castiglioni the company and carried the rights of the use of a name forward at BMW. It went to the Bavarian aircraft plants (NLG).

These were from to 7. March 1916 registered Gustav Ottoaircraft plant of Gustav Otto, a son of the petrol engine inventor come out. These 7. March 1916 applies in the official firm historiography as of BMW. With the change from Castiglioni BMW becomes from the Bavarian aircraft plants (NLG). The company however, which was called up to then BMW, became the south brake and later then the Knorr brake.

Max of Friz and put Martin Stolle the first BMW motorcycle, developed one year after the name change, 1923, the R32, and thereby the foundation-stone for a new production line: Motorcycles. Friz needed 32 only five weeks for the draft of R. Until today the basic principle of this motorcycle kept: Double-piston engine and Kardanantrieb within the double tube framework.

Starting from 1924 also aircraft engines were repaired. A reference to the building of aircraft engines appears also in the white-blue Firmenlogo. It shows a turning white airplane propeller before blue sky in representative form.

Start as car manufacturers in iron oh

In the year 1928 BMW transferred the vehicle factory iron oh A.G., the manufacturer small cars of the Dixi, and was promoted in such a way to the car manufacturer. To 22. March 1929 produced BMW its first series automobile in the Thuringian one iron oh. The car was called 3/15 HP and/or DA1 and was a manufacture under licence of the British Austin Seven. Installed the car in Berlin with one of Ambi Budd supplied body was built, which resembled rose-refined the likewise in Austin license built. 1932 followed then first "genuine "BMW named AM1 (for "automobile construction Munich No. 1"), i.e. the first BMW-own automobile construction, which DIXI so-called opposite that failed more largely and technically more progressively (valves e.g. above-steered, four wheel brake, swinging axle in front). The first complete reconstruction under the BMW auspice was the 1933 presented 303 with 1,2 litres of 6-Zylindermotor, a construction of Fritz fiddler (1899-1972). Due to starting from 1933 the again strongly extended building of aircraft engines the auto and motorcycle section became nearly the secondary object. Also in iron oh a new large BMW aircraft engine work developed. Nevertheless 327 (1937) and that arrives to 1936 presented sport Roadster of 328 attractive models with the new developments 326 (1935). Particularly the 328 not only Miglia convinced 1940 by its construction, but also by numerous successes when sports car running, among other things the Mille. This model justified the call of BMW as a manufacturer of sporty automobiles, that remained also after the war in memory. The car pleased the Britisher so well that they copied it under license as Frazer Nash, whereby this company had already used imported BMW engines since 1934.

During 2. World war

After outbreak 2. World war concentrated BMW completely on the building of aircraft engines. The double star engine BMW 801 strong up to 1.467 KW (2,000 HP) was one most important German aircraft engines. It was built among other things into the Focke Wulf L.G. 190. In addition "the armed forces bottom plates "(motorcycles with sidecar) were built and between 1937 and 1942 the automodel 325. The latter had to be manufactured as so-called "lighters unit passenger car "in to a large extent identical construction also from Stoewer and Hanomag to defaults of the armed forces.

BMW used numerous forced laborers, who were accommodated in the external bearing alloh the concentration camp Dachau for the manufacturing of aircraft engines.

Post-war period

1945 had been taken over Munich parent plants nearly completely destroyed and the automobile work iron oh by the Soviet Union. Since the Eisenacher was work in the possession of all production tools, it could immediately offer the Vorkriegs types after the war again. This happened also under the name "BMW ". Since BMW did not want to accept it in Munich that under this name cars were offered, without having on their production influence, one let a leading of the name forbid the Eisenachern 1951 "BMW "judicially. The Eisenacher of makes thereupon under the name "EMW "offered. 1952 were then explained the Eisenacher work as the state-owned enterprise (VEB).

In Munich automobiles had been produced, additionally were zerbombt to date never the parent plant and affected by disassemblies. First BMW with the production of motorcycles, pots and vehicle brakes over water held itself. But 1951 could be introduced the first postwar automobile. BMW 501, an exclusive luxury model with first 6-Zylinder, then V8-Motoren equipped, received whether its swung body form soon the pointed name "baroque gel ". The production of this car was unfortunately so that BMW brought approx. 4,000 DM in loss with each sold copy. A further problem was Motorrad-Absatz.Auch of the 1955 strongly declining starting from center of the 50's in production taken Kleinstwagen Isetta, a license production of the Italian ISO company, could the fast aggravating financial crisis not turn away. The enterprise builds Isetta with 501 on the one hand and on the other hand cars for "directors of bank and ", wrote the mirror 1959; Cars of the middle class between them were missing at that time in the BMW model program.

Crisis and

After in the financial years 1958 and 1959 high losses had been gained, it came to the dramatic general meeting from 9 December 1959. Executive committee and supervisory board, both of the German bank assigned, submitted an offer, after which BMW at Daimler Benz AG (large shareholder likewise Deutsche Bank) sold and which small shareholders would have been expropriated nearly. The fate of BMW seemed sealed, since Deutsche Bank owing to the depot right to vote about half of the share capital represented. But it came differently: , It repelled a refusal, in an educated manner from staff, BMW dealers and small shareholders the assumption offer by the fact that they let the balance contest with the help of the of shareholder and coal dealer Erich Nold as well as Frankfurt attorney Dr. Friedrich Mathern. In addition were sufficient 10 per cent of the voices. The balance be indeed incorrect, since in it the development costs for the new model 700 within a yearly copy be. Thus the assumption with loud din had burst.

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