BMW is the acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG or in English, Bavarian Motor Works. It's an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. It's the world's largest premium car-maker and is the parent company of the BMW Mini, and Rolls-Royce car brands, and, formerly, Rover.Jul 15, 2006
It originated in 1916 as Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke, a builder of aircraft engines, but assumed the name Bayerische Motoren Werke in July 1917 and began producing motorcycles in the 1920s. BMW entered the automobile business in 1928. The company’s R32 motorcycle set a world speed record that was not broken until 1937. During World War II BMW built the world’s first jet airplane engines, used by the Luftwaffe, Germany’s air force. After the war the company tried to move into the small-car market but found that it could not compete effectively against Volkswagen’s compact, inexpensive autos. By 1959 the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, and its managers were planning to sell the firm to Daimler-Benz