|
BMW
BMW
Car Design History - Automobile, motorcycle, and engine manufacturer
BMW resumed automobile
production after the war in the 1950s with the 501, a black limousine
that looked like a German version of prewar American models. This was
a somewhat underpowered streamlined car with sumptuous curves and dramatic
front fenders that were prolonged diagonally as far as the rear wheels.
It was followed by Germany's first eight-cylinder car, the 502,
that developed nearly 120 horsepower, twice as much as the previous model.
But it was never popular among the company executives at whom it was aimed.
At the other end of the spectrum was the Isetta, a rounded three-wheeler
mini-car designed by the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Iso. The two-seater
car was just over seven feet (2.25 m) long, and with its convexed windows
it looked like an airplane cockpit on wheels. The steering wheel and instrument
panel swing aside to make it possible to enter through a door at the front.
Some 160,000 of these original little cars were sold, making it one of
the most successful small cars of the post war era. But the follow-up
model flopped, and BMW experienced serious problems. As a result, BMW
was nearly taken over by Mercedes-Benz.
The
company was founded during the First World War and specialized in the
production of airplane engines; hence its logo, which represents a spinning
airplane propeller in Bavarian blue and white. The BMW car marque
came into existence at the end of the 1920s when it acquired the Eisenach
car factory. The company began to develop its own models in the early
1930s, with models such as the 303 that already sported the characteristic
divided radiator grill. The decade saw a whole new generation of models
whose streamlined forms marked the recognition of speed as an objective.
From then on BMW launched a series of sedans coupes and cabriolets in
quick succession, many of which won races, thus establishing BMW's reputation
as sports car manufacturer. Among them was the legendary 328,
which won everything there was to win in its category between 1936 and
1940. The fast, low-slung little car with its long nose, organic front
fenders, and stylized radiator was a great advertisement for BMW. The
1940 racing version had a futuristic body free of sharp edges and corners,
made from a special alloy of aluminum and magnesium.
After
the war, the car plant was moved to Munich and in the mid-1950s BMW tried
to revive its glorious past with the 507 sports car. This light yet muscular
model was the work of industrial designer Albrecht Graf Goertz,
who lived in the United States. Although the press was full of praise
and many critics declared it the most beautiful BMW ever made, only 252
were sold. The company was reasonably successful in increasing its foothold
in the small car market. The car that marked the turning point at the
beginning of the 1960s was the BMW 1500. Its stylist, Wilhelm
Hofmeister, gave this model a striking profile and some distinctive
features that contributed enduringly to the company's image, including
details such as the shaped side panels with decorative trim running along
the length of the car. Great care was taken to reduce air resistance,
for instance by integrating the door handles and direction indicators
into the waist molding. The most obvious innovation was the pointed, shark-like
nose with its shrunken kidney-shaped radiator that looked like a pair
of nostrils. The functional, angular design was typical of the period,
creating a lively impression. While its appearance did not suggest an
outstanding maximum speed, the compact 1500 could achieve 93 miles per
hour (150 kilometers per hour), remarkable for the time. So BMW developed
into a maker associated with aggressiveness, as well as quality.
The
company was already preparing to go high end in the 1960s, and during
the 1970s the chief designer Claus Luthe, creator of
the wedge shape, raised the BMW image sufficiently to justify substantially
higher prices. The company launched the 3 series, its most successful
range to date, and the 7 series, which lifted BMW into the luxury
class on a par with Mercedes. The BMW has always been more compact and
dynamic than its rival in Stuttgart, and aesthetic experiments have been
avoided as much as possible. This policy has ensured BMW's reputation
as a luxury manufacturer, synonymous with a particular lifestyle, in the
same way as an Armani suit or Bang & Olufsen stereo equipment have
done. In the mid-1990s, BMW and its American chief designer Chris
Bangle revived the company's great, yet neglected, sports car
tradition with the Z3 roadster.
BMW
had recently bought the British car manufacturer Rover, thus
acquiring a number of design legends such as the Mini, the MG
sports car, and the Land Rover.
|
BMW
Car History
Bayrische
Motoren Werke AG, Munich |
| 1916 |
Founded
in Munich as aircraft engine maker |
| 1919 |
aviation
pioneer Franz Zeno Diemer climbs to 32,000 feet (9,760 meters) in
his BMW-powered open aircraft |
| 1923 |
motorcycle
production |
| 1928 |
takeover
of Eisenach automobile factory (licensed production) |
| 1933 |
develops
its own first private car, twin-kidney-shaped radiator grille |
| 1937 |
Ernst
Henne achieves 173 mph (179km/h) world speed record on |
| 1945 |
loss
of Eisenach works, private car production starts in Munich (from 1951) |
| 1956 |
makes
loss (1959 unsuccessful takeover bid by Mercedes) |
| 1966 |
takeover
of automobile glass manufacturer |
| 1970 |
building
of the Central "Four-cylinder" in Munich (until 1972) |
| 1983 |
Nelson
Piquet Formula I World Champion with BMW |
| 1987 |
opens
research and development center in Munich |
| 1990 |
BMW-Rolls-Royce-GmbH
founded (with rights to the Rolls-Royce name) |
| 1994 |
takeover
of British automobile manufacturer Rover, including Mini, MG and Land
Rover marques |
| 1995 |
James
Bond drives BMW Z3 in Golden Eye |
BMW
Car Models History |
| 1923 |
R
32 motorbike |
| 1928 |
Dixi
small cars (under license) |
| 1931 |
BMW
engines used in Ju 52 transport aircraft |
| 1933 |
BMW
303 sedan |
| 1936 |
328
sports car (1940 competition version) |
| 1951 |
501
and 502 luxury sedan |
| 1955 |
Isetta
bubble car (under license) |
| 1956 |
507
sports car |
| 1962 |
BMW
700 small sedan; BMW 1500 sedan |
| 1975 |
start
of 5-series with 520 sedan
start of 3-series
with 318 and 320 sedans |
| 1977 |
start
of 7-series |
| 1979 |
M1
sports car |
| 1987 |
BMW
Z1 sports car |
| 1989 |
BMW 850 CSi coupe |
| 1995 |
Z3 Roadster |
| 1999 |
Z8 Roadster |
|
