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BMW company started in the
early 1900's as two separate companies. BMW itself is
a german company and the letters BMW stand for Bayerische
Motoren Werke. One person who started the company was
named Gustav Otto. His company was named
Flugzenmaschinenfabrik (Airplane Factory) and was located in
Munich Germany.
In 1916, Otto's company merged with
Karl Rapp's Flugwerke Deutschland. The newly formed
company was named Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian
Airplane Works). The company first started in the
development and production of airplane engines for the
German Air Force.
BMW
motorcycles survived through the depression years and
wars. Motorcycles were considered essential means of
transportation. Two world wars helped increase orders
for motorcycles by large countries. Once the war was
over, postwar Germany had many restrictions placed upon
it. Once these restrictions were removed, BMW
prospered but their financial gains were not much when the
1950's hit.
While
motorcycles were not doing so well, BMW focused on
automobiles production and sales. The motorcycle
division would soon rebound and flourish again in the late
1960's and early 1970's. Today BMW is a world leader
in the production of automobiles and motorcycles.
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