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Brief History

The Bavarian Motor Works of Munich has a reputation for fine engineering. The tradition of excellence began with the building of aircraft engines, was confirmed with that of motorcycles and consolidated in the production of sports cars and sporting saloons.

In 1927 the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, that had worked on the production of automobiles since 1899, started production under licence of the British Austin Seven. The first German version, the Dixi 3/15 PS, became a best-seller and was the first BMW automobile after the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach was taken over by the Bayerische Motorenwerke in 1928.

The BMW 328, built between 1936 and 1940, is a milestone in automobile history and was the most successful sports car of the 30s. The elegantly cowled back wheels, the long bonnet secured by two wide leather belts and the dashboard still make sports-car enthusiasts' hearts leap today. The streamlined BMW 328 Mille Miglia, made entirely of aluminium, was later also destined to become a myth.

The first post-war model made its appearance in 1951: the six-cylinder BMW 501 - a comfortable luxury saloon with rounded lines and striking drawn-out mudguards. Three years later, the exclusive 502 came onto the market, equipped with the world's first light-weight metal V8 standard engine. Its well-built appearance gave it the nickname under which it became famous - the "baroque angel".

BMW surprised the world in 1955 with an unusual vehicle concept. Although it was initially looked upon as something of a curiosity, the BMW Isetta with its one-cylinder motorcycle engine quickly established itself on the market. The economical Motocoup�, based on the Italian Iso construction, became a much-loved top seller throughout the 1950s.

The 507 roadster, BMW's successor to the legendary 328 in the style of the 50s, was a full-blooded sports car designed in less than a year by Albrecht Graf Goertz in New York. Only 254 were ever built: they were virtually completely hand-made and were produced individually according to each customer's requirements. Its modern all-aluminium engine with 110 kW (150 hp) from 3.2 litres impressed critics and fans alike with its powerful tourer qualities.

In 1978, there was a very special kind of premiere: BMW presented the 470 hp high-performance sports coup� M1 - the first car developed from scratch by Motorsport GmbH. Initially only developed for motorsport, a street version with 277 hp was developed later. The M1 had sporting highlights in the procar series which was the warm-up for the Formula 1 in 1979 and 1980. The BMW M1 also received international publicity in the "Art Car" version designed by American pop artist Andy Warhol.