Five Things You May Not Know About BMW

January 9th, 2009 by Shenron

One of the most recognizable names in luxury cars, BMW has forged its way into being one of the first car brands people turn to when looking for a car that is both a status symbol as well as a well made high performance vehicle. BMW was founded in 1916 and over the years has honed its design and development process to the point where nearly every model that rolls off is highly regarded by automobile enthusiasts and automotive industry insiders as well. BMW is one of the many German automobile manufacturers that has helped established a reputation for quality and performance for cars made in that country. Another reason that BMW made cars receive kudos from car buyers is their consistently high safety ratings. They are one of the more famous and recognizable automobile manufacturers in the world, but here are five things you may not know about BMW.

In pre-World War I Germany, the BMW company had been a manufacturer of aircraft. Due to terms within the Versailles Armistice Treaty, BMW and the country of Germany itself were prohibited from manufacturing aircraft, so the BMW moved into production of motorcycles and eventually automobiles.
Though prohibited from producing aircraft following World War I, when Germany began rearming itself in 1930, BMW resumed making aircraft engines. There were other German aircraft manufacturers during that time that were forced to operate under similar circumstances.
For six years, from 1994 through 2000, Germany’s BMW owned the British Rover Group, maker of the Rover, Land Rover and MG.
The BMW E53 was one of the first successful luxury SUVs when it debuted in 1999. At the time the company also owned the Land Rover company and many of the of the design components were shared between the two makes of automobiles.
The first time that movie spy James Bond’s car was not British made was in the 1995 film GoldenEye. Actor Pierce Brosnan, as James Bond the super spy, drove a BMW Z3 in that film.

BMW’s continue to be popular with the car buying public around the world for a number of reasons. From their high performance, to their high safety ratings, to the view that owning one is a sign of luxury and prominence, there is nothing on the horizon to indicate that the popularity of BMW will be diminishing anytime soon. When looking at the line of automobiles manufactured today by BMW, it is hard to believe that the company started as an aircraft maker before evolving into a manufacturer of motorcycles and then moving into the world of small economy car manufacturing. BMW has set itself up well as a car company that is thought of a little more highly than standard automobile manufacturers. Driving a BMW is a true joy and BMW owners often get hooked on the vehicle and stay loyal to the company for life. When looking at all that their vehicles have to offer, it is easy to see why.

Learn more about BMW at BMW Blog.

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