Pioneering mobility for 100 years
The German automotive company BMW is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2016.
BMW has experienced a good many ups and downs over the past 100 years. Indeed the German automotive manufacturer also reflects part of German history. Founded in 1916 as an aircraft engine factory, the company evolved within just a few years to become a manufacturer of motorcycles, the first cars then being produced from 1928. The darkest chapter in BMW’s history came in the early days of car production: during the Second World War, the car manufacturer used forced labourers and concentration camp inmates. BMW found itself on the brink of bankruptcy on a number of occasions in the post-war years, but always succeeded in resolving its financial difficulties. Today, 100 years after it was established, BMW is one of the most globally successful German companies. It went down in automotive history in 2013 when it brought out the i3, the first modern mass-produced car in Germany to run solely on electricity.
