Things you don't know about BMW

[DeoJor]

Source from the web (www.squidoo.com)

01: The name...
What does BMW stand for?
BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke.
In English, that would be: Bavarian Motor Works

02: The logo...
What does the BMW Roundel symbolize?
This is what I found browsing the Web: The Roundel logo stems from the days of its aircraft heritage, and symbolizes a spinning propeller... and, It's NOT completely true!

A huge part of the logo are the blue and white fields, and those come off the Bavarian flag. (Bavaria is a state in Germany. Yes. BMW's come from Bavaria.)

Note: If you want to know how does the Bavarian flag look like, just google: Bavarian Flag.

03: The face...
When did they start to use that kidney grille?

From Wikipedia:
The BMW 303 was a middle sized saloon produced by BMW in 1933 and 1934. It was the first BMW to use the 'kidney grill' which today is a hallmark of the company's models. Wikipedia also states, that, this was the first 6 cylinder BMW...

04: The tag...
When did BMW start to use 'series' tag?

The first BMW 'series' was the 5-series. The first car with the 'series' tag was the E12. So, the anwser is: 1972.

05: The letter...
What does 'E' stand for in BMW model code?

Yea, if you're a BMW fan, you certainly know that all BMW cars have codes - E21, E30, E36, E39, E32, E12... So, what's with this?

BMW does not use automobile platforms like any other manufactures, instead, each generation has a development code( Entwicklungsnummeren ), E = Entwicklung = Development

06: BMW Volkswagen?!
BMW with an air-cooled, boxer engine in the rear?

Yes, it's true.

BMW 700 was a direct competitor to Volkswagen's Beetle.
It had:

rear mounted engine

rear wheel drive

air cooled engine

boxer engine

And, if you really want it - compare it to a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia...

07: Why didn't they make...
E39 M5 Touring, 850i Convertible, E34 M5 Convertible, E36 M3 Compact?

Em... they did.
Believe it or not,
- BMW M5 E39 Touring
- BMW M5 E34 Convertible
- BMW 850i E31 Convertible
- BMW M3 E36 Compact
do exist!

Bmw manufactured prototypes for the listed cars, but, due to marketing strategy, they didn't send them to production. There are a lot of fan-built replicas... But, wouldn't you like to have an original one?

08: Back to the beginning...
What was the first car made by BMW?

The first car made by BMW is:
.
(wait for it...)
.
(wait for it...)
.
BMW Dixi !!!

BMW bought the Automobilwerk Eisenach in 1928 and, with it, the rights to build the Dixi car... Soon after that, they dropped the Dixi name.

09: April fools...
Did you know that BMW celebrates April fools day?

In the UK, BMW's marketing team publishes different adverts in the newspaper... Only on April fools day. The adverts are humorous, and quite intelligent. So, If you want to take a look at some of them, visit the next link:

10: The name... (AGAIN!)
What does BMW REALLY stand for?

I knew you would found out about this, sooner or later:
BMW stands for "Bob Marley and the Wailers".

For a long time Bob drove a BMW-which, as far as he was concerned, stood for Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Quote:

"I have a BMW. But only because BMW stands for Bob Marley and The Wailers, and not because I need an expensive car." - BOB MARLEY

 

[DeoJor]

5 Things You Don't Know About BMW

By: Chet Waters

Most people think that they know everything they need to know about BMW when they go to the dealership, read about BMW in Consumer Reports or Car & Driver magazine or go online and do some "research". You can't go wrong by doing any of those things.

But the truth is my friend, there is so much more to the BMW experience than just the usual brochures and information.

When you own a BMW you're not just buying a luxury car. You're buying a tradition of quality and excellence. And to show you what I mean, let me tell you about some "little known" insider information about BMW. This is going to be like a trip through your family tree. And just like you are the way you are because of all members of your family that came before you, the same is true of BMW.

Why should you care about any of this?

First, just like you, every BMW has its own special personality that started almost a century ago in 1913. Even then the obsessive need to create great mechanical machines was born. And like most true stories of "greatness", BMW has its roots in failure. Karl Rapp started the company as an aircraft engine manufacturer. With a gleam in his eye and a dream in his heart, his watched as his aircraft engines struggled to overcome vibration problems.

But all would not end well for Karl.In about three years the dreams of Karl Rapp were dead.

The financial problems of the company were just like a bullet through his heart. And there was no way he could survive this massive trauma. So in 1916 he sells out to Franz -Josef Popp and Max Fritz. For the next four years the company does well with the aircraft engine business. But it was not enough.

As the old saying goes, the only thing that stays the same is "change".

Secondly, BMW started building motorcycles in 1921. And the reason this is important to you dear reader is because this was another turning point for the company. During the next six years the company has great success with its R32 and R37 motorcycles. In fact from 1924 to 1929 all German championships in the 500 ccm category were won by BMW. Can the vehicle you drive today boast of such an inspiring heritage?

1928 was a very good year. This was the year in which all descendants of every BMW model in existence today began to take shape. For like all visionaries, the owners of the company knew they had to find other markets for their engines because the world economy was changing. And they needed to change with it.

Why is the factory at Eisenach/Thuringia important to you?

Because, and this is the third thing you don't know about BMW, this was the first factory the company owned that was licensed to build small cars. It's sort of like saying what hospital you were born in and on what date. Do you feel the connection?

The fourth thing you don't know about BMW is that 1932 was the first year the company entirely developed the first model BMW called the AM4. With this car BMW wins the Concours d'Elegance in Baden-Baden. Not a bad start for a car that would become a legend----right?

And finally, the fifth thing you don't know about BMW is that in 1933 BMW introduced the 303 saloon. This was the first inline-six cylinder engine produced by the company. This configuration is still in use in many more recent models.

Now you can no longer say that there are, "5 Things You Don't Know About BMW".

 

[Bugger]

There is a BMW secret museum in Munich, which houses prototypes and every M car ever built. There is an E46 M3 station wagon in that museum,it looks absolutely amazing.

View here:

Another unknown fact, the first jet engine to be tested in a military aircraft was indeed a BMW engine, in the ME262. However, with the war effort losing ground, the Nazis preferred to use the Messerschmidt engine instead. All the initial prototypes used BMW engines.

BMW initially started off making train wheels in the earliest part of their history (very hard to find this information, I know someone who used to work for BMW that gave me this information), then graduated to plane engines, bikes and cars etc.

BMW cars are referred to as Bimmers and bikes as Beemers.

In 1972, when the 3.0L CSL was launched, it was one of the most expensive cars in the world, costing then around GBP4000, and this was in the middle of an oil crisis. It was a huge success on the race track and was also the first BMW to sport the M division racing colours.

 

[bmw325i]

very interesting. :thumbs:

 

[Naruto]

interesting indeed!

 

[DieselFan]

Am i wrong in saying that the 303 was the fist bmw to have the kidney grills :fencelook: ?

 

[Dippies]

:thumbs:

 

[Legacy]

Too bad the inline six is dead as well :nonono:

 

[GoCart]

Interesting, thanks guys.

 

[Wes]

There is a BMW secret museum in Munich, which houses prototypes and every M car ever built. There is an E46 M3 station wagon in that museum,it looks absolutely amazing.

View here:

:thumbs:

Link to the pics: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056230334

 

[rash777]

:thumbs:

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

very nice read :ty:

 

[Sendhur]

nice thread :thumbs:

 

[Nic_s]

Threads Merged. Same topic with different facts now in one thread.

 

[Rayzor]

Nice research :bravo:

 

[Wes]

Please find the link to the article about the RHD E30 M3's :ty:

 

[WyKiD]

Interesting stuff...

 

[James-ci]

Very interessting, thanks!
Just for interest, the other day I was wondering what the LCI stand for.
Life Cycle Impulse....

 

[Bugger]

Life Cycle Impulse?

 

[Sankekur]

Another unknown fact, the first jet engine to be tested in a military aircraft was indeed a BMW engine, in the ME262. However, with the war effort losing ground, the Nazis preferred to use the Messerschmidt engine instead. All the initial prototypes used BMW engines.

The BMW engines where dropped due to their spectacular unreliability, they where replaced with Junkers Jumo 004 engines which were more reliable, they had a service life of something like 25 hours :roflol: