Things You Didn’t Know About BMW
Quiz Yourself!
Test your BMW knowledge with this quiz from Dave’s Ultimate Automotive! When you’re done, visit our shop in South Austin, Texas to tell us how you did and we’ll take care of any repairs or maintenance services your BMW needs!
When Was BMW Founded?
Franz Joseph Popp, Karl Rapp, and Camillo Castiglioni founded BMW in 1916 in Munich, Germany. They named the company “Bayerische Motoren Werke” (BMW).
What Did They Originally Manufacture?
BMW didn’t start making cars until after the First World War. At the start, they made engines for aircrafts, buses, trucks, pumps, railway brakes, and agricultural equipment! Warplanes were in especially high demand by the German military in the World Wars.
What Was their First Car?
BMW bought Automobilwerk Eisenach in 1928, which gave them the rights to build the Dixi car. The first production cars were badged BMW Dixi, but the name was later dropped when the updated model was released in 1929-- the BMW 3/15 DA-2. The Dixi was not designed by BMW and similar models existed around the world -- the English Austin, Japanese Datsun, and American Bantum.
What Do the BMW Logo Colors Represent?
Anyone can recognize the iconic BMW logo, but do you know what the colors represent? They represent the company’s home in Bavaria, where the national colors are blue and white (bonus: their headquarters there are shaped like a four-cylinder engine!). Some people speculate that the logo is meant to represent a spinning propeller, but the roundel is actually a tribute to the original logo of Rapp Motor company and those who founded BMW.
Which Other Brands Does BMW Own?
How deep does your vehicle brand knowledge go? Did you know that BMW also own Rolls-Royce, Land Rover, and Mini? The German company took over these two English brands in 1994 when they bought the British Rover Group.
Which Brand Almost Took Over BMW?
Speaking of big vehicle brand takeovers, do you know which brand attempted to absorb BMW? In the 1950’s, BMW was struggling. Daimler-Benz, parent company of Mercedes-Benz attempted to takeover, but shareholders of BMW fought them off by buying back shares. It remains a marker of animosity and competition between the two German manufacturers.
How did you do on the BMW Quiz? It’s okay if you didn’t know everything, but you should know to visit Dave’s Ultimate Automotive in South Austin, Texas for repairs and service!
