BMW Timeline

DeoJor

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Sourced from the World Wide Web
BMW History & Timeline :


1913
the company Rapp Motorenwerke, was established by Karl Rapp, with the intention to manufacture V12 aircraft engines for the Austrian company Autro Daimler.

1916
March 17 "Rapp Motorenwerke" is renamed "Bayerische Motoren Werke"
The first director was the Austrian Engineer Franz Joseph Popp.

1929
In the Eisenach Fahrzeugfabrik are manufactured cars under license from the UK car manufacturer Austin. They are called Dixi 3/15 PS. The production is tranfered to Berlin and after some improvements the Dixi car is relaunched as BMW 3/15 PS, ... the first automobile under the BMW label using the BMW logo

1936
launch of the BMW 328

1951
launch of BMW 501

1955
launch of BMW 507

1959
the company is facing serious financial difficulties

1959
December- shareholder assembly is supposed to vote a resolution presented by Deutsche Bank to sell the struggling company to Mercedes Benz. The businessman Harald Quandt injects fresh money and following financial restructuring, acquires 50% of the shares. The company turns around.

1961
launch of BMW 1500

1966
BMW wins the car race 24hr Le Mans

1968
launch of BMW 2800CS

1972
Olympic Games in Munich home of BMW

1972
- launch of BMW series 5
- foundation of BMW Motorsport

1973
foundation of BMW France

1975
launch of BMW series 3

1976
launch of BMW series 6 designed by Paul Bracq

1977
launch of BMW series 7

1978
launch of BMW M1 designed by Giorgio Guigiaro, only 399 items are build

1983
Nelson Piquet becomes World champion

1987
launch of a concept car which becomes the BMW Z 1

1989
launch of BMW series 8

1995
launch of BMW Roadster manufactured in the USA, driven in the James Bond film "Golden Eye"

1998
launch of the BMW recycling center

1999
- launch of a new car segment - BMW X5, 4 wheel drive cars
- launch of BMW Z8

2002
launch of BMW Z4

2003
launch of BMW X3

2004
launch of BMW 1 series

2006
launch of BMW Hydrogen 7


2007
October, opening of the showroom BMW Welt, a 73,000m2 expo center

2009
launch of BMW X1

2010
August 13, Charity concert for the Red Cross in Berlin Potsdam, organized by Duchess Rixa von Oldenburg

2012
- launch of BMW X6
- launch of BMW i8 concept
- opening of the Paris showroom on avenue George V


Today BMW employs 95,453 people and generates 60,48 billion Euro in sales. The wife and children of Harald Quandt still own 50% of the company. His daughter Susanne Klatten is very interested in innovation and she loves to discreetly participate in inventions.

BMW also owns Mini and Rolls Royce Motor Cars.
 
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