 | |
| Type | Aktiengesellschaft |
|---|---|
| Traded as | FWB: BMW |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor(s) | Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (BFW) |
| Founded | 21 July 1917 |
| Founder(s) | Franz Josef Popp |
| Headquarters | Munich, Germany |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Norbert Reithofer (CEO),Joachim Milberg (Chairman of the supervisory board), Adrian van Hooydonk Design Director |
| Products | Automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles |
| Production output | 1,481,253 Automobiles (2010) 112,271 Motorcycles (2010) |
| Revenue | €68.82 billion (2011) |
| Operating income | €8.006 billion (2011) |
| Profit | €4.881 billion (2011) |
| Total assets | €123.42 billion (2011) |
| Total equity | €27.10 billion (2011) |
| Employees | 102,007 (2011) |
| Subsidiaries | Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Husqvarna |
| Website | bmw.com |
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), (literally English: Bavarian Motor Works) is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini brand, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands. BMW is known for its performance and luxury vehicles, and is a global leader in premium car sales.
Company history
Main article: History of BMW
BMW entered existence as a business entity following a restructuring of the Rapp Motorenwerke aircraft engine manufacturing firm in 1917. After the end of World War I in 1918, BMW was forced to cease aircraft engine production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty. The company consequently shifted to motorcycle production in 1923 once the restrictions of the treaty started to be lifted, followed by automobiles in 1928–29.
The circular blue and white BMW logo or roundel is portrayed by BMW as the movement of an aircraft propeller, to signify the white blades cutting through the blue sky — an interpretation that BMW adopted for convenience in 1929, twelve years after the roundel was created. The emblem evolved from the circular Rapp Motorenwerke company logo, from which the BMW company grew, combined with the blue and white colors of the flag of Bavaria, reversed to produce the BMW roundel. However, the origin of the logo being based on the movement of a propeller is in dispute, according to an article posted in 2010 by the New York Times, quoting "At the BMW Museum in Munich, Anne Schmidt-Possiwal, explained that the blue-and-white company logo did not represent a spinning propeller, but was meant to show the colors of the Free State of Bavaria."
BMW's first significant aircraft engine was the BMW IIIa inline-six liquid-cooled engine of 1918, much preferred for its high-altitude performance. With German rearmament in the 1930s, the company again began producing aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe. Among its successful World War II engine designs were the BMW 132 and BMW 801 air-cooled radial engines, and the pioneering BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet, which powered the tiny, 1944-1945-era jet-powered "emergency fighter", the Heinkel He 162 Spatz. The BMW 003 jet engine was tested in the A-1b version of the world's first jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 262, but BMW engines failed on takeoff, a major setback for the jet fighter program until successful testing with Junkers engines.
By the year 1959, the automotive division of BMW was in financial difficulties and a shareholders meeting was held to decide whether to go into liquidation or find a way of carrying on. It was decided to carry on and to try to cash in on the current economy car boom enjoyed so successfully by some of Germany's ex-aircraft manufacturers such as Messerschmitt and Heinkel. The rights to manufacture the Italian Iso Isetta were bought; the tiny cars themselves were to be powered by a modified form of BMW's own motorcycle engine. This was moderately successful and helped the company get back on its feet. The controlling majority shareholder of the BMW Aktiengesellschaft since 1959 is the Quandt family, which owns about 46% of the stock. The rest is in public float.
BMW acquired the Hans Glas company based in Dingolfing, Germany, in 1966. It was reputed that the acquisition was mainly to gain access to Glas' development of the timing belt with an overhead camshaft in automotive applications. Glas vehicles were briefly badged as BMW until the company was fully absorbed.
In 1992, BMW acquired a large stake in California based industrial design studio DesignworksUSA, which they fully acquired in 1995. In 1994, BMW bought the British Rover Group (which at the time consisted of the Rover, Land Rover and MG brands as well as the rights to defunct brands including Austin and Morris), and owned it for six years. By 2000, Rover was making huge losses and BMW decided to sell the combine. The MG and Rover brands were sold to the Phoenix Consortium to form MG Rover, while Land Rover was taken over by Ford. BMW, meanwhile, retained the rights to build the new Mini, which was launched in 2001.
Chief designer Chris Bangle announced his departure from BMW in February 2009, after serving on the design team for nearly seventeen years. He was replaced by Adrian van Hooydonk, Bangle's former right hand man. Bangle was known for his radical designs such as the 2002 7-Series and the 2002 Z4. In July 2007, the production rights for Husqvarna Motorcycles was purchased by BMW for a reported 93 million euros. BMW Motorrad plans to continue operating Husqvarna Motorcycles as a separate enterprise. All development, sales and production activities, as well as the current workforce, have remained in place at its present location at Varese.
Production
In 2006, the BMW group (including Mini and Rolls-Royce) produced 1,366,838 four-wheeled vehicles, which were manufactured in five countries. In 2010, it manufactured 1,481,253 four-wheeled vehicles and 112,271 motorcycles (under both the BMW and Husqvarna brands).
The BMW X3 (E83) was made by Magna Steyr, a subsidiary of Magna of Canada, in Graz, Austria under license from BMW until 2010. Over 45.973 were produced in 2009. Starting October 2010 the new BMW X3 (F25) is produced in BMW's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S.A. From September 2010, the plant is producing MINI Countryman.
It is reported that about 56 per cent BMW brand vehicles produced are powered by petrol engines and the remaining 44 per cent are powered by diesel engines. Of those petrol vehicles, about 27 per cent are four cylinder models and about nine per cent are eight-cylinder models.
Annual Production
Year BMW MINI Rolls-Royce Motorcycle 2005 1,122,308 200,119 692 92,012 2006 1,179,317 186,674 847 103,759 2007 1,302,774 237,700 1,029 104,396 2008 1,203,482 235,019 1,417 104,220 2009 1,043,829 213,670 918 82,631 2010 1,236,989 241,043 3,221 99,236
Production by country
Country Make 2006 2008 Models Germany BMW 905,057 901,898 Others Mexico BMW 1,500 100,000 BMW X3, X5, 3, 5, 7-series Russia BMW 1,500 2,000 BMW X5, X6, 5-series United Kingdom Mini 187,454 235,019 All Minis Rolls-Royce 67 1,417 All Rolls-Royce Austria BMW 114,306 82,863 BMW X3 USA BMW 105,172 170,741 BMW X5, X6 South Africa BMW 54,782 47,980 BMW 3-Series Total 1,366,838 1,439,918
BMW also has local assembly operation using complete knock down components in Thailand, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Chennai, India for 3, 5, 7 series and X3.
Worldwide sales
Vehicles sold in all markets according to BMW's annual reports.
Year BMW MINI Rolls-Royce Motorcycle 2000 822,181 2001 880,677 2002 913,225 2003 928,151 2004 1,023,583 2005 1,126,768 200,428 796 97,474 2006 1,185,088 188,077 805 100,064 2007 1,276,793 222,875 1,010 102,467 2008 1,202,239 232,425 1,212 101,685 2009 1,068,770 216,538 1,002 87,306 2010 1,224,280 234,175 2,711 98,047
Production
Worldwide sales
