10 BMW Facts You SHOULD Know!

BMW is a famous brand in the car industry. It’s perhaps the best-known German car manufacturer. BMW has become one of the highest-performance vehicles that are advanced in appearance and comfortable to drive. While most people are aware of BMW due to its long history and the high numbers of cars it has manufactured, not everyone knows specific details about this company and its productions over the years. Here are 10 BMW facts you shouldn’t miss!

1. They Founded BMW in 1916; BMW Facts

Franz Joseph Popp, Camillo Castiglioni, and Karl Rapp established the company based in Germany in 1916. They named their company Bayerische Motoren Werke which was abbreviated as BMW. Rapp had already left the company by 1917, and it wasn’t until then that they produced their first product. It was the BMW Illa aircraft engine. This is one of the BMW facts you should know. The company’s early years made various products, including railway brakes, household items, and agricultural equipment. They also manufactured engines for trucks, buses, farm equipment, and pumps.

2. The Dixi was the First BMW Car

Since the company was established, they have made many different cars; the first one was the Dixi. When they first ran into the auto industry, they bought Automobilwerk Eisenach. It gave them the right to build the Dixi car. When they first produced the cars, they were badged as BMW Dixi. IN 1929, they dropped the Dixi name and made a renewed model. It was called the BMW 3/15 DA-2 and went on sale in 1929.

3. The Colors of the BMW Logo Represent Bavaria

Many people falsely believe that the BMW logo is assumed to express a spinning propeller, and they think this is one of the BMW facts but that is not the case. The symbol was designed, and they chose the colors to represent Bavaria’s colors, which is where the main headquarters of BMW is located. Blue and white are Bavaria’s national colors. The roundel was a piece of the Rapp Motor company’s original logo, which was involved in BMW’s founding. Therefore, the logo was an indispensable tribute to them and their role in the production of BMW.

4. The BMW Produced Electric Car in 1972

Do you think electric cars are a modern invention? It’s not true! Car companies have tinkered with the idea since the early 19th century. They produced the first electric car in 1828, but the fashion for this type of car saw a considerable decline that they didn’t revive until the 1990s. During this decade, the larger car manufacturers started to produce electric variants of their models. BMW was well ahead of the time, though, and they had built their first electric vehicle in 1972. However, it never made its way to the market because it had only half the performance of other models’ performance, and it could only hold a charge for 20 minutes.

5. They Built a Lamborghini; BMW Facts

It may surprise you to discover that BMW built a Lamborghini as the two companies are not connected in any way; one is German while the other is Italian. However, it was by a joint agreement that BMW built the race car.

These two companies had agreed to make a car together during the 1970s. Giugiaro designed the vehicle, and BMW was implementing part of the suspension and the engine. Lamborghini then pulled out of the project for financial reasons.

The BMW facts say they hired Baur company, a private coachbuilder, to take over Lamborghini’s part in the project. It headed to the birth of the original BMW M1 supercar.

6. BMW Almost Became Mercedes in 1959

During a challenging period in BMW’s history in the 1950s, they were almost taken over by Mercedes. Because of the Cold War, BMW had nearly gone bankrupt by 1959.

Daimler-Benz, the parent company of Mercedes, tried an unfriendly takeover of BMW. However, BMW shareholders fought against the takeover and mounted a counterattack by getting back shares. Ultimately, the company was taken over by Quandit.

There has been a long-standing dispute between Mercedes and BMW, and the attempted takeover is still considered one of their ongoing battles.

7. The Signature Grille is Named a Kidney Grille

One of the unique characteristics of a BMW is the grille. It is one of the pieces that people notice when they see a car and instantly recognize it as a car manufactured by BMW. Some people even find this grille a more recognizable part than the BMW logo.

This grille is named a kidney grille, and it has a more extensive history with this car brand than you may think; it was first launched in 1933. The first model on which it developed was the BMW 303. Few other car brands can declare they are recognizable by the grille alone, and this is one of the BMW facts out there.

8. The BMW CSL Has a Unique Design

The BMW CSL model is one of the most notable cars built by BMW. Its unique design has often been compared to that of the batmobile in the Batman movies. This sports car has arches and spoilers that are a vital element of this car’s aesthetics; they also play a crucial role in this model’s dynamics. This car is one of the most sought-after models ever produced by BMW.

9. They Were at the Lead of Aerodynamics Design

An essential part of automobile design is aerodynamics. BMW was well ahead of its time in its plans. The Kamm Coupe was named after aerodynamicist Wunibald Kamm. It is the perfect symbol of how BMW was at the lead of aerodynamics and innovative study as they chopped off the rear end of the car to increase straight-line speed by up to 30%. BMW facts say the car’s rear is called Kammback, and many other producers have adopted this design. Some instances of this are Corvettes and Priuses.

10. The BMW was in a Formula One Championship Win

The M10 four-cylinder engine was a production of BMW’s that first hit the roads in 1962. At first, it had 75 horsepower. The engineers had worked on its form until it could achieve 1400 horsepower by 1983. This engine was in the car driven by Nelson Piquet when he won the Formula One World Championship. He won the championship by driving a vehicle with a 20-year-old street engine inside it. Piquet was driving for the Brabham racing team at the time of his win in 1983.