What Does the ‘B’ in BMW Stand For?
Lisa Steuer McArdle
· 4 min read
BMW
is one of the most well-known car brands in the world, and it's had a long and eventful history. Nowadays, BMW is currently tied with Lexus
for having the most luxury car sales
in America, but few Americans know what BMW's name even means. Here's a look at what the ‘B’ in BMW actually stands for.
What the ‘B’ in BMW stands for
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BMW
wrote, the German automaker's full name in its native language is Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. The GmbH at the end of BMW's true name is simply an abbreviation in German that means "company." And, obviously, Bayerische Motoren Werke is what BMW stands for. Translated into English, the ‘B’ in BMW's real name means "Bavarian." Taken all together, BMW simply means "Bavarian Engine Works Company." And, unsurprisingly, BMW's history has its roots in the German state of Bavaria. This is exactly why BMW's name is so simple and to the point.
A look at the history of BMW
That being said, like many other companies, BMW didn't start out as BMW. Originally founded in Bavaria in 1913 as Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH, the company got its start by making engines for airplanes during World War I. But, in 1916, the company went bankrupt, and a year later, it changed its name to BMW.
A simple name change didn't change BMW's fortunes, however. After the end of World War I, one of the terms and conditions for peace was that Germany couldn't build aircraft engines anymore. As such, BMW had to switch gears, and it started making brakes and motors instead.
As it turns out, BMW was great at making brakes and motors, too. It didn't take long before other German companies took notice and started investing in BMW. But, of course, BMW didn't stay in that lane forever.
After a while, BMW was building entire cars for the market. BMWs nowadays are well-known for how well they drive, both in terms of speeding up and slowing down. But, that's not where BMW's story ends.
As the world attempts to tackle climate change, BMW is doing its part, too. Like many other automakers, BMW also has begun thinking about moving
away from gas-powered cars
and onto cleaner vehicles. As a result, BMW probably has a longer story ahead of itself. Are there any nicknames for BMW?
That was a short history of BMW and how it got its name, but that isn't the German automaker's only name. After all, many people call BMWs a variation of the word "beemer." Some folks spell it as "bimmer," and others spell it as "beamer."
Either way, all of those nicknames are pronounced about the same. This nickname came from the British motorcycle racing scene as a way for folks to talk about BMW bikes in a faster fashion. Eventually, this nickname for BMWs caught on in much of the world, and obviously, it's now used to talk about BMW's cars and bikes.
That isn't the only popular nickname for BMWs, however. In China, BMWs have been nicknamed "bao-ma." Translated into English, the Chinese nickname for BMW means "precious horse," which is a fitting phrase for a brand as luxurious as BMW.
Folks thinking about buying themselves a brand-new BMW might also want to consider a new car insurance policy, too.
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