
One of the more recognizable acronyms in the world, BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke. If that doesn’t help, in English, it translates to “Bavarian Motor Works.” Often you will see BMW followed by “AG,” which loosely translates to “publicly held company.”
Until BMW produced its first automobile in 1929, it made motorcycles and airplane engines. BMW’s “propeller” blue and white roundel logo dates back to its early days, and the company still uses it today. Mythology maintained that BMW’s plane engine production inspired the propeller-like logo, but that’s just a happy coincidence. After WWII, BMW returned to building cars in 1952, launching the BMW 501.
Today, BMW has a reputation for creating and building highly engineered performance luxury cars and SUVs.