The Prestigious History Of BMW
BMW has a long and prestigious history spanning over 100 years, with the official founding date documented as 7th March 1916. For the first 6 years it was formed under the name Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG. It was in 1922 that the historic BMW brand was unveiled and renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW).
In their early days BMW produced aircraft and motorcycles. It wasn’t until 1928 that BMW manufactured their first automobile, the BMW 3/15, following the acquisition of Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach. The 1930s saw BMW expand its range, producing larger luxury cars and sporting vehicles.
During World War II BMW’s production was greatly impacted and at one point banned completely by the Allies. It wasn’t until 1948 that BMW was able to resume production and in 1955 expanded its range to include more affordable vehicles, including the BMW Isetta microcar, built under licence.
During the 1960s the New Class range was expanded with the New Class Coupés luxury models. The two-door car of the BMW 1600 was launched, along with a convertible version. This began the BMW 02 Series, of which the 2002 sports sedan was the best known.
BMW M division released its first road car, a mid-engine supercar, in 1978. This was followed by the BMW M5 in 1984 and the BMW M3 in 1986. That same year BMW introduced its first V12 engine in the 750i luxury sedan.
The 1995 BMW Z3 expanded the line-up to include a mass-production two-seat roadster and the 1999 BMW X5 was the company's entry into the SUV market.
Over the last two decades BMW has broadened the type of vehicles it produces, including the introduction of its first turbocharged engine, hybrid car the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 and the electric vehicle the i3. They also designed their first front-wheel drive car the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer.
With locations across the UK, hiring a BMW from Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Birmingham has never been easier.