Beginning. The BMW company (Bayerische Motoren Werke) was established in 1916 and initially manufactured military aircraft engines. After World War I, the Bavarian manufacturer started to produce railway brakes. In 1928, the Dixi 3/15 model left the assembly line of the Eisenach factory. This car was powered with a four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 0.8 l and a power of 15 HP. Despite the small engine, the car could reach speeds of up to 80 km/h.
Development. In 1936, the roadster 328 left the BMW factory. The two-litre engine with 80 HP made this car unbeatable at the famous race track in Nurburring. This car received a nomination for the Car of the Century Competition. After World War II, US Army vehicles were repaired in Munich. However, already by 1951, the 501 model had been designed and launched onto the market. The 1500 model, which was presented in 1962, was to win over the middle class. Additionally, the car also performed well during races. The series 5 model was launched in 1972. Later, the series 3 and 7 models were presented, which are still manufactured today. The series 6 model, in turn, combined sport and luxury.
Present. In 1994, BMW took over the Rover Group, which included: Rover, Land Rover, Mini and MG. Six years later, the cooperation ended and the Bavarian manufacturer incurred a loss in connection with the purchase of the British makes amounting to 9 billion Deutschmark. At the turn of the century, BMW decided to start expansion in the sports and recreational car segments. The X5 and X3 models rolled off the assembly line of the German manufacturer.
Contribution to the automotive industry. BMW is one of the most prestigious car makers in the world. Their cars are valued for their excellent performance and top-quality sub-assemblies. BMW has also been extremely successful in sports. In 1982, BMW made its debut in Formula 1. A year later, Nelson Piquet won the Formula 1 World Championship, racing in the Brabham BMW BT52. Until the present, BMW M GmbH cars still often win in motorsports. It is certainly worth noting that the most successful modification of a serial car—the BMW M3—comes from Munich.
Trivia. BMW does not only manufacture cars. For 60 years, the Bavarians have also manufactured technologically advanced bicycles. BMW is also a well-known motorcycle manufacturer. The annual production of 100,000 motorcycles has made this German company one of the largest manufacturers of motorcycles in Europe.
Popular BMW models: series 1 (E81) (from 2004), series 3 (E90) (from 2005), series 5 Gran Turismo (from 2009), series 6 (E63) (from 2003), series 7 (F01) (from 2008), X1 (from 2009), X3 (F25) (from 2010), X5 (E70) (from 2006), X6 (from 2008), Z4 (E89) (from 2009) and series M: M3, M5, M6
Nearly all tyre manufacturers cooperate with BMW, providing tyres for the first equipment. The equipment of numerous BMW models (including series 3 and 5, SUV, X5 and X6, M Coupe and Roadster) includes Continental tyres, such as SportContact, SportContact 2, SportContact 3 SSR, ProContact, TouringContact, PremiumContact SSR, PremiumContact2 and Contact UHP SSR. Other frequently used products include Dunlop tyres. These are serial equipment of the BMW 323i/328i (Dunlop SP Sport 2000E), series 5, 6 (SP Sport 01 DSST) and 7 (SP Sport 01A). Dunlop is also used for SUV segment tyres — X5 (Dunlop Grandtrek WT M2) and X2 (SP Sport 01). BMW also uses Bridgestone tyres. The series 3 and series 5 BMWs use various models from the RE050A range. Bridgestone ER30 tyres are used in luxury series 7 BMWs. Bridgestone EL42 (BWM X3), ER30 or Dueler HP Sport RFT (BMW X5) tyres are used in sport utility vehicles. On the other hand, Goodyear has the exclusive right to install its tyres on certain BMW cars. These include series 1 (Goodyear Excellence or UltraGrip 7+) and 2 (UltraGrip Performance 2 or UltraGrip 7+). The Mini make, which belongs to the group, uses UltraGrip Performance 2, Excellence or UltraGrip 7+ tyres.