subject: BMW Cars Early Development [print this page] Author: Rob Jones Author: Rob Jones
Like many of todays other major car manufacturers BMW didnt just spring into operation but has grown and evolved over a long period of time. However, unlike most other car manufacturers BMW didnt start out life making cars. The origin of the BMW car can be traced back to the 28th of October 1913 when Karl Rapp and Julius Auspitzer founded Karl Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH on the site of Flugwerke Deutschland GmbH which had just gone into liquidation.
Julius was the sole shareholder who financed the company while Karl managed the operational side. The company were to start building all kinds of engines, in particular internal combustion engines. They started to manufacture the Rapp six cylinder inline and V-8 cylinder water cooled engines with overhead cams which were distinguished from their competitors engines because the vertical shaft that drove the overhead camshaft came up between the fourth and fifth cylinders and not at the rear. The six cylinder had a capacity of 901 cu in giving 125hp. Soon the Rapp ll was launched increasing the power output to 150 hp. Shortly after the onset of the first world war the Rapp lll six cylinder was launched with a further increase of power to 175hp. The V-8 was also developed further to give 200hp from its massive 19.7 litres capacity. Unfortunately they had trouble with engine vibration. Because of the faulty engines, Rapp Motoren Werke secured a contract with Austro-Daimler to try to eradicate the problem which they did but the company expanded too quickly, and by 1916 Rapp resigned because of financial troubles.
In his place two Austrians, Franz Josef Popp and Max Friz an aircraft engine designer at Daimler took over the company and In March of that year, Rapp Motoren Werke merged with Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik to form Bayersiche Flugzeungwerke. It was shortly afterwards renamed Bayersiche Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works), or BMW, and hence was the start of the company we know and love today.
In 1917 the first aero engine went into production and in 1919 they set an altitude record of (32,013 ft). The company became a major supplier of aero engines and with the help of Friz the original designs were improved to produce an aero engine capable of operating well at high altitude to give the imperial army superiority in aerial combat.
On the signing of the Treaty of Versailles BMW were banned from building any more aircraft engines and switched production to making air brakes for railway carriages. In 1922 BMW were once again allowed to build aero engines and twenty nine world aviation records were achieved using them. BMW then turned their attention to making motorbikes and in 1923 manufactured the R32 which had a top speed of 59 mph.
It was in 1928 BMW produced their first car at the Eisenbach factory, the Dixi 3/15 PS marked the beginning of BMW automobile production. It was built under license from Austin and was virtually the same model as the US Bantam and the Japanese Datsun. The first Dixis used an open roof and were powered by a 743cc 4 cylinder engine producing 15 horsepower. The top speed was in the region of 50 mph. It was in 1920 that the current BMW logo was introduced which is based on the circular design of an aircraft propeller.About the Author:
