Apr 27, 2015  BMW Logo, History Timeline and Latest Models. BMW, short for ‘Bayerische Motoren Werke’, which means ‘Bavarian Motor Works’ in English, has come a long way since its inception and has become one of the most popular sports, luxury, and family car manufacturers today. The BMW history started with the efforts of Karl Rapp, who. BMW's origins can be traced back to three separate German companies: Rapp Motorenwerke, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke and Automobilwerk Eisenach. The history of the name itself begins with Rapp Motorenwerke, an aircraft engine manufacturer which was established in 1913 by Karl Rapp.A site near the Oberwiesenfeld was chosen because it was close to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (then called Otto.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) is a German automobile maker founded in 1917. The company was a merger of two companies producing aircraft engines, Rapp Motoren Werke and Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik. They formed Bayersiche Flugzeungwerke that changed its name a year later to Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. In 1923 BMW introduced its first motorcycle, the R 32. In 1928 BMW acquired Eisenbach automobile plant. Eisenbach was producing the British Austin Seven under license and were selling the vehicle under the name 'Dixi 3/15 PS', BMW changed the name to 'BMW Dixi 3/15 DA-1'.

The range grew and the 328 sports car was introduced in 1936, a two seater sports car with an aluminum body and a straight six 2.0 liter engine. During World War II BMW produced aircraft engines and motorcycles. After the war car and motorcycle production was restarted in 1948 in Bavaria with the Isetta, an Italian designed microcar built under license, being the main product.

After a difficult period for the company with attempts by the British Rootes Group, makers of Humber and Sunbeam among other brands, and also American Motors to take over the company, German investors increased their shares heavily in BMW.

The 700, a small car with a 700cc engine, was launched in 1959. The BMW 1500, a compact car that developed into the BMW 2000, was introduced in 1962. The model was in production until 1976. Larger vehicles with straight six cylinder engines were introduced in 1968, the 5 Series in 1972 and the 3 Series in 1975.

BMW bought the British Rover Group in 1994. Development of the X5 started around the same time and BMW were able to use technology from Land Rover for this vehicle. BMW kept the Mini and Triumph brands, but sold Rover and Land Rover, the latter to Ford Motor Company in 2000.

The sixt generation of the 5 Series were introduced in the end of 2009 as a 2010 model year and the sixth generation of the 3 Series went on sale in early 2012.

Accessories & BMW Car Parts

• BMW Lifestyle Shops - USA | UK | DE | Canada | International Portal
• BMW Official eBay Shops - USA | UK | DE | Canada | Australia
• eBay BMW Car Parts - USA | UK | DE | Canada | Australia
• Euro Car Parts -- UK -- offers on the Euro Car Parts home page.
• Auto Barn Parts -- USA -- significant offers on the Auto Barn home page.
• Discount Tire -- USA -- buy your tires at discount.

BMW Car Magazines

World History Pdf Free Download

• BMW Car Magazine - UK, US, Canada, digital edition
• Performance BMW - UK, US, Canada, digital edition
• Roundel BMW Magazine - BMW Car Club of America
• Bimmer Magazine - Bimmer Mag

Clubs and Registries

• BMW Car Club of America - Official car club.
• BMW Car Club of Great Britain & Ireland - Official owners club.
• BMW Club of Canada - Umbrella Site - Official car club.
• BMW Club China - Official owners club.
• BMW Club Japan - Official car club.
• BMW Vintage and Classic Car Club of America - Official car club.
• Senior Six Registry - BMW E3.

DIY & Instructional

• DIY Articles - Pelican Parts - Repair & maintenance articles with photographs.
• Impee's BMW DIY Pages - e46 318i UK & European models.
• BMW Tech - Bentley Publishers - Online technical library with diagrams.
• Bimmer DIY - Maintenance and repair instructions for the home mechanic.
• BMWdiy.INFO - E39 specific DIY guides.
• Doug's Domain BMW DIY - E36/E46 specific maintenance procedures.

Forums - Discussion & Technical

Forums - Discussion & Technical (UK)

• Bimmer Forums.co.uk - UK based BMW forums.

Reddit BMW

• BMW - The main subreddit dedicated to all BMW vehicles.
• BmwTech - Technical help & discussion for all BMW models.
• E24 BMW - for BMW E24
• E30 BMW - for BMW E30.
• E36 BMW - for BMW E36.
• E39 BMW - for BMW E39.
• E46 BMW - for BMW E46.
• E60 BMW - for BMW E60
• E90 BMW - for BMW E90 and 9x variants.
• 2002 BMW - for BMW 2002
• i3 BMW - for BMW i3
• M BMW - for BMW M Series
• Z4 BMW - for BMW Z4

Official Websites (interesting sites)

• BMW Authorities Vehicles - Emergency services vehicles, diplomatic, military, etc.
• BMW Clubs International - BMW Club & Community management association.
• BMW Group International - Reports, research and company news.
• BMW PressClub Global - Company announcements and information for members of the media.
• BMW International - Portal for country specific websites for sales and services.
• BMW Manufacturing - BMW US based production facility.
• BMW Motorrad International - Motorcycle division of BMW AG.
• Specalist BMW Sales Devision - Listed as 'International, but mainly UK orientated.
• BMW Sports - Portal for BMW Motorsport, BMW Golfsport and BMW Yachtsport sponsorships.
• BMW TIS Technical Information System - Service and technical reference information for the BMW service industry.
• BMW Welt - Exhibition and museum of BMW AG, located in Munich, Germany.

Owner Services

• BMW Owners Area (U.S) - Update your owner details, track orders and downloads (replaces Owners Circle).
• BMW Owners Area (Canada) - Access information and resources for Canadian BMW owners (replaces Owners Circle).
• BMW Owners Area (UK) - Information, resources, and news subscriptions relevant for BMW UK owners.

Used Vehicle Resources

• Used Vehicle Report via VIN code - VIN number based vehicle check from NMVTIS and VinAudit.
• Used Vehicle Buying Advice - by Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety.
• Vehicle Safety Ratings - Search vehicle safety ratings from NHTSA.

Used Vehicle Resources (UK)

• MOT status check VOSA - Retrieve information on a current MOT status for any vehicle.
• MOT history check VOSA - Retrieve information on historical MOT tests for any vehicle (records start from 2005).
• TAX vehicle check VOSA - Check if a vehicle is currently road taxed.
• Get vehicle information - from DVLA
• Used vehicle check - Advice and services from DVLA

Vehicle History Checks

American History Pdf Download

• carVetical - vehicle check - European Countries
• carVetical - vehicle check - U.S.A
• Mercedes VIN decoder (run by bmwsections)
• VinAudit - vehicle check - U.S.A

Vehicle Info & Online Tools

• BMW Vin Decoder - Shows basic factory info for your BMW.
• RealOEM Parts Database - Obtain official part numbers and OEM prices on parts for all BMWs. This is the same dataset (ex currency type) as used by many BMW dealers.
• BMW Bluetooth Compatibility - Check a smartphone or portable device for pairing with BMW Bluetooth interface and onboard BMW computer systems.
• Compatible Engine Oils Check - Find the correct oil for your BMW from Shell
• Compatible Engine Oils Check - Find the correct oil for your BMW from Castrol
• Vehicle Recalls Check - Safety recall information from BMW
• Vehicle Recalls Check - Safety recall information from Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety.

Bmw History Pdf Download Pdf

Vehicle Info & Online Tools (UK)

History Books Pdf Free Download

• Vehicle Recalls Check - Safety recall information from BMW
• Compatible Engine Oils - Find the correct oil for your BMW from Shell
• Compatible Engine Oils - Find the correct oil for your BMW from Castrol
• askMID - Confirm if your vehicle (or others) is on the official Motor Insurance Database (MID).
• Reliability Index - Statistics on vehicle reliability for most UK vehicles.
• GOV.UK - Vehicle Recalls Check - Safety recall information from DVLA
• GOV.UK - Check Vehicle Tax - Check if (any) vehicle is currently taxed.
• GOV.UK - MOT Status Check VOSA - Current mot status and basic vehicle details.
• GOV.UK - MOT History Check VOSA - Retrieve information on previous MOT tests including reasons for failure on vehicles from 2005.
• GOV.UK - Renew Vehicle Tax - DVLA tax renewal online service.
• GOV.UK - MOT Testing Manuals - Guides and notices on the MOT test.