BMW will soon be launching its premium cars in Nepal | History behind BMW legacy

The luxury carmaker, BMW with a 103 years old legacy in the auto market is soon making its first-ever entry in the Nepali market. Those who want to purchase BMW luxury cars in Nepal will now be able to buy one in their own motherland within the next two months or so.

Laxmi Premium working under Laxmi Group Nepal will be bringing the new BMW premium cars in Nepal. Although the official launch date or any other information about the BMW cars release in Nepal has not been made public in the market, it can be speculated that the brand will soon be resting its feet in Nepal after we have seen the BMW showroom work going under construction at Tinkune, Kathmandu which is somewhat at its final phase of construction.

The number one brand choice for most of the world’s top politicians, businessmen, and celebrities, BMW is mostly renowned for its quality, comfort, reliability, and safety. In fact, BMW is one of the most popular and luxury car brands in the world. Initially, the firm has not disclosed any info on which models and with what pricing will the upcoming BMW cars may be available in the Nepali market.

BMW Back History (Legacy)

What does BMW stand for?

The BMW name stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH which roughly translates to the Bavarian Engine Works Company. BMW was created in 1917 from the Munich firm Rapp-Motorenwerke. The company was incorporated into Knorr-Bremse AG in 1920 before being refounded as BMW AG in 1922. It was the successor of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG, founded in 1916. 1916 is therefore considered BMW’s founding year.

History

Today's BMW AG has its origin in Rapp-Motorenwerke GmbH, which began producing aircraft engines in 1913. During the First World War, Rapp supplied the air force of the German Empire. At that time, automobiles had not yet broken through into the mainstream. If you wanted to travel long distances on land, you went by train.

Rapp Motorenwerke had its headquarters in the Bavarian capital, Munich – as did the factory where the engines were fitted into the aircraft, Gustav Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik. When the Otto company went bankrupt in 1916, it became Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (BFW). Shortly afterward, Rapp also changed its company name: In 1917, the company became known as Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. BMW’s origin in the Rapp company can also be seen on the logo. In 1918, the factory premises of the Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH were still a greenfield site. Today, BMW Group Classic occupies these prestigious buildings in the Moosacher Straße, Munich.

In August 1918, Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH became a stock corporation. But the end of the First World War brought a halt to the construction of aircraft engines, as the Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany from building them. So BMW shifted its focus to railway brakes and built-in motors. This was so successful that the Berlin-based brakes company Knorr-Bremse AG took majority ownership of BMW in 1920, integrated the company and relocated to Munich. Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH as an independent company disappeared temporarily from the scene – albeit not for long.

Here's a picture of BMW’s plant in the 1970’s.

 

In 1922, the major investor and aircraft construction pioneer Camillo Castiglioni was the main shareholder of Knorr-Bremse AG. He bought the BMW company name and took over engine construction operations, along with the employees, production facilities and company logo, and transferred everything to BFW, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG.

In the same year, the company moved into BFW’s factory buildings in Lerchenauer Strasse and changed its name to Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. And that’s how the BMW name found its way into the commercial register for a second time.

All this means that BMW AG is the legal successor of BFW. The corporate headquarters and parent plant of the BMW Group are still located at the former BFW site in Milbertshofen, Munich to this day. And there’s something else the aircraft manufacturers bequeathed to BMW AG, too: BFW’s founding date of March 7, 1916, is considered to be BMW’s official birthday.

The first BMW motorcycle, the R 32, came onto the market in 1923, followed in 1933 by the BMW 303, the company’s first completely new, self-developed car. BMW AG ceased the production of aircraft engines at the end of the Second World War.