Bavarian engine factory? When hearing this name, most people will probably be a little confused as to why there is no name that can be associated with this awkward manufacturer.

But if Uncle Che says: "BMW!" you may think of this car brand that we call "BMW".

Yes, the Bavarian engine manufacturer has a nice name in China: BMW.

Understanding the question of who it is, it’s time for someone to ask why: Why is BMW’s real name the Bavarian Engine Works?

To talk about this issue, I am afraid we have to go back to the earliest origins of this company.

The Bavarian Engine Factory was originally an aircraft engine manufacturer. Its founder, Gistan Otto's high achievements in the aviation field gave him great confidence and made him have great ambitions. Manufacturing cars, he believes that he will be successful in the automotive field!

Judging from the results of later generations, he did succeed. His decision wrote a glorious page in automobile history. The name "BMW" has now become world-renowned and has become the world's top luxury car brand!

But why did you give up the aircraft business and enter the automobile industry as the next best option when you can obviously build more profitable aircraft?

This actually has a lot to do with Germany’s national conditions at the time.

In 1918, the First World War ended and Germany became a defeated country. Their aircraft were listed as "weapons of war" by the "Treaty of Versailles" and were prohibited from production. This gave the aircraft engine manufacturer at the time The Bavarian engine manufacturing plant was hit hard, and the factory was even shut down for a time. At this time, Gistan Otto made a decisive decision to enter the automobile industry. He thought: "Since we can build good airplanes, why can't we build cars with excellent performance?"

So, BMW started He devoted himself to studying automobiles and worked hard for nearly five years. Finally, he developed the first motorcycle engine in 1922. Later, he re-manufactured an air-cooled 500ml two-cylinder motorcycle engine and R32 in the Nuringburg factory. motorcycles and officially launched their automotive business. At the end of 1923, they contracted to produce motorcycles in Munich, and the R32 motorcycle with the BMW trademark was sold on the market for the first time.

To this day, you can still see motorcycles with the BMW trademark on sale. Since the birth of the first BMW R32 in 1923, BMW motorcycles have become synonymous with innovation. The classic twin-cylinder opposed engine structure is still used today, and its streamlined design, safety and emission technology have set industry standards. The engine performance and good sports genes that the Bavarian engine manufacturer has always advertised are also reflected in its motorcycles.

Five years later, in 1928, BMW acquired the Eisenach automobile factory and began producing cars. Since then, BMW has brought many masterpieces in the history of automobile manufacturing to the market. These products continue to inspire strong emotions and people's desires, creating BMW's outstanding reputation as an automobile manufacturer.

At this point, the Bavarian Engine Factory began to gradually become a world-renowned luxury car manufacturing brand.

Uncle Che’s conclusion

BMW’s blue and white logo symbolizes the rotating propeller, which is a portrayal of the company’s early history. But the current BMW president corrected that people always think that the blue and white logo is a propeller. In fact, it should be. BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The state flag of Bavaria is blue and white, and BMW’s name is Bavaria. Engine Manufacturing Co., Ltd., BMW represents Bavaria and the most exquisite engine technology in Germany.

The current glory of BMW is inseparable from the forward-looking decisions of its original founder, Gistan Otto, but was it all smooth sailing in the days when BMW started building cars?

In the next issue, Uncle Che will tell you the ups and downs in the history of BMW.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.