Founded in 1913, Bayerische Motoren Worke AG (BMW), a manufacturer of German aircraft engines in the first world war, began producing automobiles in 1927. BMW would not find much success financially in its early years, and nearly folded in 1959 before finally finding their niche in the early 1960s. It was at this time that BMW would begin introducing increasingly sophisticated vehicles with features such as independent suspension and disc brakes - made for driving enthusiasts.
BMW Motorsport was created in 1972 to further the goal of providing great driving enjoyment in a practical vehicle. The first “M” car was the 1979 M535i, a race tuned variant of the 5 series sedan. In 1986 they would release the first M3, a car heralded the world over as a top echelon racer, capable of holding its own with the best that Porsche or Ferrari had to offer while at the same time maintaining its status as a “daily driver”.
Today BMW is one of the fastest growing automakers in the world, and have continued their tradition of creating some of the most advanced and best performing daily drivers available. BMW is also the parent company of Mini and Rolls Royce.