What does 'BMW' actually stand for?
Published on Sep 28, 2023 at 1:21 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Sep 28, 2023 at 1:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
The brand BMW is synonymous with ‘driving pleasure’ – but have you ever paused to consider what those three letters actually stand for?
Currently at number six in the rankings of global producers of cars and motorcycles, it was first founded in 1916.
But the brand has gone through a massive evolution since the first car left its production line.
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It was initially named Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG.
And the words the letters roughly translate to the Bavarian Engine Works Company.
The brand can trace its roots to Rapp-Motorenwerke GmbH, which was named after one of the company’s original founders Karl Rapp.
It was founded in 1913 and made aircraft engines from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945.
The first product it made was a straight-six aircraft engine called the BMW IIIa
It wasn’t until 1922 that it rebranded to ‘Bayerische Motoren Werke” in 1922’.
And the acronym of this is the brand name we all know: BMW.
In fact, BMW didn’t start making cars until 1928, when it merged with Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach.
The first car the brand ever sold as a BMW was a rebadged Dixi or BMW 3/15, which it made until 1931.
The brand then diversified, making sports cars and luxury vehicles.
The BMW logo we recognise was evolved from the Rapp Motorenwerke company logo.
It was first introduced in 1917 – and it’s changed very little since then.
Its blue and white shades are designed to represent the flag of the Free State of Bavaria.
People have since revealed they had no clue what BMW stood for.
A couple even took to social media to reveal what they thought it meant.
One person posted to X (formally Twitter) to say “my aunt said BMW really stands for body made wrong”.
“Bob Marley and Wailers,” another said.
“Blue Moon Wednesday,” said a third.
Now you know.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
