BMW
Not everybody knows that BMW (or Bavarian Motor Works) started as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. In October of 1913, engineer Karl Friedrich Rapp established Rapp-Motorenwerke in a former bicycle factory near Munich. After the end of World War I in 1918, BMW was forced to cease aircraft engine production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty. The company consequently shifted to motorcycle production in 1923, once the restrictions of the treaty started to be lifted, followed by automobiles in 1928 – 29. Today, BMW makes some of the most iconic European automobiles. With the slogan of “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” BMW inspires a passion and loyalty like few other brands.
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