BMW is an abbreviation for Bavarian Motor Works, also known as Bayerische Motoren Werke AG in German. Karl Rapp, Gustav Otto, Camillo Castiglioni, and Franz Josef Popp established it in 1916.¹⁾

BMW used to make aviation engines before it became known with high-end vehicles. These were sought after throughout World War I and World War II because to their high-altitude capability and fuel economy. Until 1945, BMW manufactured airplane engines. ²⁾

During the war, the firm was forced to diversify and investigate new revenue streams. As a result, BMW also manufactured railway brakes, pumps for agricultural machinery, and engines for buses and vehicles. ³⁾