The history of the BMW Group reaches back to 1916. Today, the four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad make the BMW Group one of the world’s leading premium suppliers of automobiles, motorcycles, as well as mobility services. Since the beginning of its history, the company has kept its sight firmly set on the future and has consequently put sustainability and efficient resource management into the centre of its strategy. Learn more about the history and historical focus of the BMW Group.

1916 – ESTABLISHMENT OF BMW.

BMW can trace its roots back to Karl Rapp and Gustav Otto. In 1916, the Flugmaschinenfabrik Gustav Otto company had merged into Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke AG (BFW) at government behest. Elsewhere, in 1917, the Rapp Motorenwerke company became Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, which was duly converted into an AG (public limited company) in 1918. BMW AG subsequently transferred its engine construction operations – including the company and brand names – to BFW in 1922. The date of BFW’s founding, 7 March 1916, has therefore gone down in history as the foundation date of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.

1945 – RECONSTRUCTION DIFFICULTIES.

After the Second World War, allied soldiers requisitioned and occupied the BMW plants. Since BMW had been classified as an armaments company, machines and tools were dismantled. From 1945 onwards “stopgap” production, mainly of household appliances, was started in Milbertshofen - as was also the case at the Berlin plant.

1959 – BMW REMAINS INDEPENDENT.

As the 1950s progressed, the position of the company became increasingly precarious. In late 1959, Daimler-Benz submitted a restructuring offer for BMW subject to a time limit for acceptance. But small shareholders and the workforce rejected this offer at the Annual General Meeting held on 9 December. Their perseverance and his confidence in the BMW 700 motivated Herbert Quandt to expand his package of shares. After the government provided some temporary financial assistance, BMW was restructured under Quandt’s management in the following year.

1973 – BMW HEADQUARTERS AND BMW MUSEUM.

tarting in 1970, BMW began building an administrative tower block in the north of Munich. Its unusual shape soon led to it to be known as the "four-cylinder building", and it soon became a notable landmark in the city's architecture. The BMW Museum was installed next to it in a bowl-shaped building that is still one of a kind to this day. The new building complex was officially opened on 18 May 1973.

1990 – THE BMW RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE: A SPECIAL KIND OF THINK-TANK.

In 1986, BMW AG brought together all research and development work under one roof at the Forschungs- und Innovationszentrum (Research and Innovation Centre, or FIZ) in Munich. It became the first automotive manufacturer to establish such an institution, with around 7,000 scientists, engineers, designers, managers and technicians, working together as part of an integrated team. The facility was officially opened on 27 April 1990. In 2004, the FIZ was expanded with the addition of the Projekthaus building. Incorporating the principles of “construction communications”, the development was completed in two years and spans 12,000 m². The nine-storey building offers an open gallery and atrium, and with its offices, studios and meeting rooms, forms the new heart of the FIZ. Today almost 9,000 staff work at the FIZ.

1998 – ROLLS-ROYCE.

In July 1998, BMW acquired a piece of automotive history. Following long negotiations, the company obtains the brand and naming rights for Rolls-Royce motor cars from Rolls-Royce plc. Rolls-Royce is held entirely by Volkswagen until the end of 2002, when BMW takes on full responsibility for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, along with all rights. The new Rolls-Royce plant and a new company headquarters are built in Goodwood, in southern England. This is the sixth facility constructed since 1904, scheduled to manufacture newly developed Rolls-Royce models from the start of 2003.

2001 – THE MINI – PREMIUM IN THE SMALL-CAR SEGMENT.

First unveiled as a concept car in 1997, the new MINI was launched by the BMW Group in 2001 – the first premium vehicle in the small-car segment. MINI’s advanced design combined with the athletic, cheeky character expressed the lifestyle of an entire generation. The MINI Hatch was the first in 2001 – with many more model variants to follow.

2013 – LAUNCH OF THE BMW i3.

The BMW Group embarked on a new era of electric mobility. With the BMW i3, the new BMW i brand presented the first all-electric series-production model from the BMW Group. Propelled by an electric motor – and thus entirely emission-free – this vehicle delivers a completely new driving experience that is compelling for its agility and sheer fun. Sustainability has never been so electrifying.