Sleek and Sexy

By Lorna Findlay

What most people don’t know, however, is that BMW had it’s beginnings in 1923 not with cars, but with motorcycle production. To this day, BMW constantly comes out with new models of motorcycles employing cutting edge technology. Their racing teams see constant action in the international racing circuits, and win quite a number of these races with regularity.
As a matter of fact, some BMW racing teams like to show off the specs of their machines by beating modified motorcycles from other groups, but they do so using only stock motorcycles that can be bought straight off the showroom floor by regular people. BMW has enjoyed such a high level of popularity that almost every country in the world has exclusive BMW motorcycle clubs for racers, owners, and enthusiasts. These clubs promote the popularity of BMW motorcycles by holding races, rallies, showroom events, and regular meetings among it’s members.
Aside from the high levels of speed and overall performance of it’s cars and motorcycles, however, BMW machines are also well known for one other thing. Sheer durability. The only drawback perhaps to the BMW is it’s price tag, which tends to be higher than the average motorcycle. Because of the popularity and prestige of BMW, older model beemer bikes have become vintage units that can fetch a hefty price with the right people.

A Rocky Road To Success

By Jonathan Blaze

The name of that company is BMW, known in English as the Bavarian Motor Works.

Synonymous to luxury, high quality, and speed, the BMW brand name is one that is recognized around the world as the automobile that everyone eventually wants to own.

Founded in 1913 by Karl Rapp, the company (known then as Rapp-Motorenwerke) was originally based in an old bicycle factory in Munich. Rapp specialized in manufacturing engines for aircrafts. It was then that the name of the company was changed to Bayerische Motoren Werke or as we know it, BMW.

In 1928, BMW began manufacturing automobiles and acquired the Eisenach Vehicle Factory in Germany. Specializing in large touring cars and sports cars, BMW seemed to be on track throughout the 1930’s. It was at this juncture in the company’s development that fate intervened. With the close of WWII, Allied Forces quickly dismantled the BMW factories and due to the company‘s involvement in the manufacturing of airplane engines, imposed a three-year ban on production. BMW reemerged as a manufacturer of kitchen and garden equipment a short time later. It wasn’t until 1948 that BMW introduced a new motorcycle (R24) and 1952 before a new car was released. Automobile sales in the 1950’s, however, were lagging and the financial stability of BMW was once more in question. It was this model that seemed to seal the future success of the company.

In the following years, the plants are both restructured and soon become the world’s largest BMW facility.

Edited by Agus Wahyudi

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