Tell about BMW Cars?

This 1940 328 Kamm Coupe (named after the father of German aerodynamicist Wunibald Kamm) was decades ahead of its time, aerodynamically. If it looks familiar, that's because Shelby American, Inc.

employed the same principles to make the Cobra Daytona Coupe in the mid-1960s. Essentially, by chopping off the rear end, you can increase the straight-line speed by north of 30% -- a big deal when you're racing across Italy in the Mille Miglia. It's called a Kammback, and plenty of cars today, from Priuses (Prii?) to Corvettes, still use the principle.

Even hardcore car enthusiasts may not know many pieces of information about this German automobile company. With this in mind, here are 20 interesting facts you might not know about the car manufacturer BMW.

BMW didn't exactly invent sidecar racing -- the concept of leaning out of a sidecar to improve cornering ability during a race dates almost as far back as the concept of sidecars themselves. But BMW's riders were evidently born with a serious problem with their amygdalas. Case in point: this nutter's not even wearing facial protection other than goggles.

They Were Founded in 1916
In 1916, Franz Joseph Popp, Karl Rapp, and Camillo Castiglioni founded the company which is based in Munich Germany. They called the company Bayerische Motoren Werke which was later shortened to BMW

By 1959, BMW was nearing bankruptcy due to myriad factors (here's a hint: Cold War). Smelling blood, Mercedes' parent company Daimler-Benz mounted a Gordon Gekko-style hostile takeover attempt. It got... spicy.

This was a sensible move as the original name is such a mouthful. Rappe had already left the company by 1917 and it wasn’t until then that they manufactured their first product.

BMW shareholders said "f*ck that noise" (an approximate translation from the German) and mounted a counter attack. Even the lowliest mechanics helped buy back shares. Eventually, a man by the name of Quandt took control; his family still owns a large chunk of the company today. This remains the major skirmish of the intense rivalry between Mercedes and BMW.

This was the BMW Illa aircraft engine. In the early years of the company, they manufactured a range of products, including railway brakes, household items, and agricultural equipment.

BMW and Lambo agreed in the 1970s to build a race car. The Germans were supposed to provide the engine and some suspension bits, and the Italians were slated for the rest of the mid-engined beauty, penned by the incomparable Giugiaro.

They also manufactured engines for buses, trucks, farm equipment, and pumps. This was a necessity at the time as World War I was taking place.

Not only did it make it difficult for BMW to find their forte, it was also a necessity of the time for themselves for financial reasons. Furthermore, they were meeting the needs of the surrounding community by creating such a wide range of products.

At the eleventh hour, ostensibly for financial reasons, Lamborghini pulled out in one of the biggest that's what she said moments in corporate history. BMW cleaned itself off, went back to Germany, had private coachbuilder Baur handle Lambo's part, and the original BMW M car was born.

They Originally Manufactured Aircraft Engines
Although BMW is now best-known for producing cars, this was not the original purpose of their company; they actually manufactured engines for planes. When the company was first founded, it was during World War I.

At this time, there was a huge demand for engines for warplanes. Rapp Motor and Otto Werke merged to create an airplane manufacturing company.

Forget the BMW-slash-Lamborghini origin for a second. Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the car, and he's kind of a legend. That means its father is the same guy that designed the DeLorean. And the Beretta U22 Neos handgun. And the Lotus Esprit.

The planes they produced were described by Red Baron as the greatest engines in World War I. Their aircraft engines became well-known for high-altitude performance and fuel efficiency.

the Nikon D4 camera. And the VW Golf. How a guy like Giugiaro could also design the Yugo is a mystery greater men than me have tried and failed to solve.

As the warplanes were in high-demand by the German military, BMW was forced to expand their business at a rapid rate to keep up with demand. Although they initially stopped manufacturing planes after World War I, they had to resume manufacturing of warplanes during World War II as they were producing aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe.

The most successful of the World War II engine designs were the BMW 132 and the BMW 801. The BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet was also one of their pioneering engines. BMW continued to manufacture airplane engines until 1945.

The Treaty of Versailles is the Reason BMW Began Making Cars
Bizarrely, the Treaty of Versailles is responsible for BMW manufacturing cars. During World War I, the company had produced plane engines.

Following the war, the terms of the Treaty of Versailles banned German companies from producing both warplanes and engines for warplanes. For this reason, BMW was forced to diversify their company to remain in business.

Originally, they shifted their focus to motorcycles before beginning car production in 1929. It was only because of the Treaty of Versailles that they began to manufacture cars.

If it had not been for World War I, the history of BMW would be an entirely different story.

Their First Car Was the Dixi
Since the company was founded, they have made many different models of cars. The first car they manufactured was called the ‘Dixi’.