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| Bayerische Motoren Werke AG | |
| Type | Aktiengesellschaft |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Headquarters | |
| Key people | Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman and CEO |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Products | Automobiles |
| Revenue | €49 billion (2006) |
| Employees | 107,079 (2007) |
| Subsidiaries | MINI |
| Slogan | DE: Freude am Fahren |
| Website | |
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. BMW is the parent company of the MINI and Rolls-Royce car brands. It is also one of the leading car and motorcycle manufacturers in the world.
History
BMW was officially founded as a public company in 1922, but traces its origins to the pioneering days of German aviation all the way back to 1913. Two of these pioneering men, Karl Rapp and Gustav Otto, are credited by BMW as the "founding fathers". However, BMW owes its actual founding by three men- Josef Popp, Max Friz, and Camillo Castiglioni. These men brought BMW through many turbulent times in the company's early life, as well as taking the company public in 1922 to form BMW AG.
Beginning with aircraft engines, BMW AG produced a variety of products in its early years, eventually moving to motorcycle production in 1923 and automobiles in 1929. The circular blue and white BMW logo, which has not changed throughout the company's history, does not in fact symbolize a spinning propeller. The BMW Trademark was derived directly from the logo of the predecessor company Rapp Motorenwerke.
