German auto companies

German auto companies

The history of BMW

Although BMW's current fame and reputation as one of the greatest automobile manufacturers can be mostly linked to models produced in the last two decades, the history of the marque stretches back almost 90 years and contains numerous achievements that have established it as a benchmark.

The origins of BMW trace back to 1913 when Karl Friedrich Rapp, a Bavarian who had been a well-known engineer in a German aircraft company, formed Rapp Motoren Werke in a suburb of Munich. The company specialized in airplane engines however Rapp found that they were problematic and suffered from excessive vibration. Nearby, Gustav Otto, also an airplane specialist, set up his own shop, Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik, building small aircraft.

Because of the faulty engines, Rapp Motoren Werke secured a contract with Austro-Daimler, who was unable to meet its demands, to build V12 Aero engines under license. The company expanded too quickly, however, and by 1916 Rapp resigned from the company because of financial troubles. In his place Franz Josef Popp and Max Friz, two Austrians, took over the company. In March that same year, Rapp Motoren Werke merged with Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik to form Bayersiche Flugzeungwerke. It was shortly afterwards renamed Bayersiche Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works), or BMW, forming the company we know today.

In 1917, BMW's first aircraft engine went into production, the 6 cylinder Type IIIa. In 1919, using an aircraft powered by its successor, the Type IV, Franz Zeno Diemer set an altitude record of 9,760 metres (32,013 ft). After the Treaty of Versailles was signed in the same year, prohibiting BMW from building aircraft engines, production switched to air brakes for railway cars. When BMW started once again to build aircraft engines in 1922, no fewer than 29 world records in aviation were set with them. The current BMW logo, introduced in 1920, was based on the circular design of an aircraft propeller.

The first BMW motorcycle, the R 32, went into production in 1923 at the newly constructed Eisenach factory next to the Munich airport of the day. The R 32 used a flat-twin engine transversely mounted in a double-tubular frame producing 8.5 horsepower at 3300 rpm. The 2-cylinder 494cc motorcycle could reach a top speed of 59 mph (95 km/h). BMW manufactured 3090 of them during its 3 year life span.

It was 1928 that made history in terms of the BMW car. Produced at the Eisenbach factory, the Dixi 3/15 PS marked the beginning of BMW automobile production. It was built under license from Austin and was essentially the same model as the US Bantam and the Japanese Datsun. The first Dixis used an open roof and were powered by a 743cc 4 cylinder engine producing 15 horsepower. Top speed was in the neighbourhood of 50 mph (80 km/h). In 1929 a new improved version was launched, the DA2, which employed an all-steel body and 4-wheel brakes, and in 1930 the Dixi scored its first wins in motor racing. Total production: 18,976 units.

1932 was the year the BMW AM 4 (Ausfuhrung Munchen 4 Gange - Munich Version 4 Speeds) - a.k.a. BMW's first "real" car - went into production. The AM 4, also called the 3/20 PS, was the successor to the Dixi and the first production car to be built entirely in-house by BMW. The powerplant was a 782cc 4 cylinder unit which featured suspended valves and a double chain driving the camshafts, producing 20 horsepower at 3500 rpm and providing the saloon with a 50 mph top speed.

The next year mark ed the introduction of the 303 saloon and the first BMW inline-six cylinder power unit, a configuration that remains BMW's typical choice even in contemporary cars. The 303 was also the first BMW to use the twin-kidney shaped radiator grilles, another cur rent trademark. Using a welded tubular steel frame, independent front suspension and rack and pinion steering, the 303 was a benchmark in technological achievements. Its 1173cc engine provided 30 horsepower and a top speed of 56 mph (90 km/h).

3 years later, in 1936, the BMW 328 was introduced. It was the most popular and remains BMW's most famous pre-war sports car, the successor to the 315/1 (1934-36). The 328 was built mainly for motor sport, where it proved itself successful by winning the Mille Miglia in Italy in its class in 1938, but quickly became a popular road car as well. A curb weight of only 1830 lb was achieved through the use of an extra-light tubular spaceframe and light alloy parts for the hood, doors and tail end. Using a 1971cc inline-6 cylinder engine with three carburettors that produced a healthy 80 horsepower at 5000 rpm, the 328 could reach a maximum speed of 93 mph (150 km/h). 462 units of this classic were produced in total.

In 1935 BMW entered the record books once again, this time on two wheels. Riding a streamlined 500cc compressor machine developing 108 hp and an amazing power-to-weigh ratio (282 lb curb weight), Ernst Henne set a world speed record for motorcycles of 173.7 mph (279.5 km/h) in 1937. It stood for nearly two decades.

BMW's success was unfortunately short lived. After the Second World War, the company lay in ruins. Its factories had been destroyed or dismantled and a three-year ban on any production activities was imposed by the Allies in response to the production of aircraft engines and rockets by BMW during the War. The first post war model, the V8 equipped 501 luxury sedan produced in 1951 was a poor production choice for a country that was also devastated by the war. Demand was low and the 501 did not even com e close to meeting BMW's expectations.

It was a totally different approach that started to bring BMW back on its feet. In 1955, the Isetta 250 was launched and participated very successfully in the mini-car era of the 1950's. It was built under license from the Italian manufacturer Iso and used a motorcycle engine and a single door at the front. The engine was a single cylinder 245cc unit producing 12 horsepower at 5800 rpm and a top speed of 53 mph (85 km/h). During its 7 year production run a total of 161,728 Isettas were built.

A couple of years later, with BMW still having no secure financial foothold, one of the most memorable models in its history was introduced. Launched in 1956, the BMW 507 quickly became famous. The light-alloy 2-door bodyshell with a retractable soft top, designed by Alberecht Graf Foertz, has remained timeless as evidenced by the newly introduced Z8, which draws unmistakable clues and its overall shape from it. A large 3168cc V8 engine using dual downdraught carburettors powered the 507 and provided 150 horsepower at 5000rpm, enough for an impressive 124 mph top speed (200 km/h) but not enough to topple its main rival, the Mercedes 300SL. While only 252 examples of the instantly recognizable 507 were ever produced, it remains a symbol of BMW's struggles and ultimate triumphs during the fifties after the end of the War.

The next step in BMW's evolution and the predecessor to the cars we know today was launched in 1962. The 1500, which had been developed during the crisis of the '50s, was another of BMW's saviors. The excellent suspension and striking design for its time, employing a low waistline with a low-slung engine compartment and rear lid characterized the 1500. A 1499cc 4-cylinder engine producing 80 horsepower at 5700 rpm and providing a top speed of 92 mph (148 km/h) powered it. During its two year production run sales amounted to only 23,807 units; however between all of the models in its range (1500,1600,1800,2000) production totaled 334,165 cars. Based on these cars, the first generation 5 series, the E12, was launched 10 years later in 1972. The 3 series was introduced 3 years later and the 7 series 2 years after that, in 1977. 

In 1990 BMW re-entered the aircraft engine manufacturing business after forming BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH jointly with Rolls Royce. In 1998, after extended talks concerning the sale of Rolls Royce, BMW officially bought the rights to the Rolls Royce name and logo from Volkswagen, with the transition expected to take place in 2003. 1994 brought about another purchase, as BMW acquired the Rover Group PLC. After heavy losses, the company was finally sold in 2000, with Rover being split up from Land Rover which was purchased by Ford. BMW held the rights to the new Mini and the hot-hatch goes on sale in early 2002.

Today, the Z3, Z8 and all of the 3, 5, 7 and Motorsport series models continue the BMW tradition of building excellent automobiles with a special emphasis on performance, style and technological advancements. 1992 was another year-to-be-remembered for BMW when it, for the first time, outsold Mercedes in Europe. Hopefully in the future the rivalry between these and other makes will persist and companies such as BMW will continue to build great cars.

The Volkswagen Brand history

The history of the “People's Car”, Volkswagen, begins on May 28th 1937 when the “Geselschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagen mbH” company is created. A year later it is renamed into “Volkswagenwerk GmbH” has it's headquarters established in Wolfsburg, a city especially created for the workers on the Volkswagen plant that are going to mass produce Hitler's dream car for the average German, designed by Ferdinand Porsche.

But Hitler's plans weren't going to materialize because WWII started and the plant switched production to armaments and the vehicles under the VW logo went to the army of the Third Reich. After the war, the plant at Wolfsburg went under Allied control, British to be specific, and under the supervision of Major Ivan Hirst, Volkswagen began the mass production of the Type 1, or the Beetle as it would come to be known throughout the world.

Initial sales abroad were disastrous, but through clever advertising, the Beetle gained popularity with the young crowd and from 1945 to 1955 numbers reached the 1 million mark. Meanwhile, sometime at the end of the 40s, Volkswagen also introduced the Type 2, a people carrier, known as the “VW Bully”.

Even through the 60s and 70s, the Beetle manages to stay on top of sales, despite the fact that it was becoming obsolete. Reliability, easy maintenance and reduced fuel consumption made the car remain a consumer favorite. On February 17th 1972, Volkswagen celebrated selling over 15 million units of the Beetle sold, thus surpassing the Ford Model T as the most popular car in the world, a title which it still holds to this day.

Despite the success it had with the Beetle, by the beginning of the 70s, Volkswagen AG was in dire need of new models to replace the aging Beetle. The help came from Audi/Auto Union, which WV had bought back in the sixties. They brought with them the knowledge for front-wheel drive vehicles and water-cooled engines.

In 1974, the first Golf rolls out of the factory's door and becomes and instant hit. Marketed as the Rabbit in the United States and Canada, it was responsible for putting Volkswagen back on the map. That same year, a more sporty model, the Scirocco makes it's way onto the Volkswagen line up. For the smaller car market, the German car maker came up with the Polo in 1976, which was quite popular throughout Western Europe.

The next decade saw Volkswagen trying to improve their products with new generations of all the older models and expanding their influence by taking over Spanish manufacturer Seat and the Czech-based Skoda Auto. As the 90s rolled in, VW-owned Audi became a direct competitor for BMW and Mercedes-Benz with products designed for a more pretentious market. This left a void in the general market which Volkswagen now tried to fill. The third generation vehicles now came with better quality and standards. Gradually, new luxury models were introduced, like the Touareg, a premium off-road vehicle.

In the last decade, Volkswagen has been busy trying to set records when it comes to CO2 emissions and fuel-efficient technologies. This applies to their normal engines, running on gas and diesel, but they are also developing hybrids.

The Audi history

The Audi history begins with a man called August Horch, who founded the Company HORCH & CO in 1899.He invented his first car 1901 with the help of 15 fellow workers. The car had a max. speed of 32 km/h. In 1909 Mr. Horch had to leave his company due to major problems with the commercial management and founded another company called Audi. " Audi" is the Latin translation for "Horch" and he took that name because he wanted to build cars under his own name. So the brand "AUDI Automobilwerke GmbH" was registraded in 1910. Until the First World War some of the cars built under the Audi name won several rallies, which helped to establish the name worldwide. During the first war Audi was forced to produce vehicles for the war effort, and then after the war the recession was also a tremendous problem for the company. Therefore the founder August Horch left the management in 1920. The company managed to get through the hard times from 1927 to 1930, but in 1931 the management recognized that only a union with other vehicle manufacturer could keep Audi alive. At that time the AUTO UNION was founded, the members were DKW, HORCH, WANDERER and AUDI. The new companies insignia to show the union of the four companies was the now familiar 4 rings , which are still used by Audi today.

The new union had great success in motor sport in the ensuing  years. The most powerful car that was build before the 2nd world war was a 6 litre V 16 engine with 382 KW( 582PS) in 1936. In the years during the 2nd world war the AUTO UNION once again were forced to build vehicles for German military. Many motorcycles, engines, different war vehicles and even parts for submarines were build until 1945. At that time all factories in Germany were completely destroyed by American bombers. 

After the war had ended there were about 60 000 DKW military vehicles worldwide that needed spare parts and maintaince. This was the reason a new start in Ingolstadt, southern Germany was made. Soon after the war there were again many cars produced, the most important for me was the DKW Munga, a four-wheel jeep with 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine. Invented in 1956 for the German military, there were only 250 cars produced for testing purposes. On of these cars made a trip around the world and  drove over 240 000 km without major problems. This was the beginning of the later concept called Quattro. Nearly 57 000 Mungaswere built until 1968.

In the following years many different engine- and car types were invented and produced in large amounts. The 2-stroke system was replaced by the 4 stroke one in 1965, a milestone in the engine development. For the power or the engines has been risen continually, the company thought about a new drive train concept. An performance of over 100 KW with front wheel drive shows heavy abrasion on the front tires and dangerous Ferrari a effects. The Iltis jeep what had replaced the Munga hadn’t that problems and the reason for that was not the minor performance of 75hp, it was the 4 wheel concept. Mr.Bensinger, the father of the Quattro, made many tests and tried to convince the management to give him green light for building a four wheel drive concept in an street car. The board of directors were not very pleased with that idea because the thought that nobody will buy such an car and especially if it was a high technology one not build by Porsche or Mercedes. These two firms were the only ones that had the name to do such huge inventions. One has to notify that the Auto Union at that time had no reputation in build high tech cars. Fortunately Mr.Bensinger did a good job, the project QUATTRO was born and the management decided to make this drive train concept famous all over the world with high activities in motor sport. The name AUDI should become as worthfull as Porsche and Mercedes.

To get the car ready in an short time many parts of available other types were used. The engine came out of the 200, the body was from the Audi 80 at first and the drive train came out of the Iltis, the successor of the famous Munga. Certainly many parts were braced, changed in size and improved for the high performance the car should have. After two years of improving, testing and rallying the first real ur-quattro with the new coupe body was build in 1980. The power has been risen to 200hp in the testing time, not a bad number if you think that most of the other car producer did with an 2.2l engine.

The Opel history

Now part of General Motors, Opel GmbH is a German car manufacturer of long tradition, being founded in 1863 by Adam Opel. Like many other manufacturers, Opel started out with something other than cars, in this case sewing machines and then bicycles. In 1899 he had already bought a car manufacturing plant that belonged to Friedrich Lutzman. When Adam passed away, his two sons dedicated themselves to building cars for two more years with Lutzman before setting out on their own.

Their next partner in 1902 was the French carriage maker Darracq, with Opel providing the bodies. This partnership too came to an end in 1906 when Opel had enough expertise to make their own cars. The first model had been introduced at the Hamburg Motor Show in 1902. Cars were made at the Opel plant starting with 1907, in parallel with sewing machines, until 1911 when a devastating fire burned down the factory almost completely.

When production resumed, only cars continued to be made and instead of sewing machines, Opel started making motorcycles. In 1913 they had already become the biggest car manufacturer in Germany. Except Opel didn't stop there and in 1924 introduced the first mass-production assembly line in Germany, the first model to roll out being the Opel Laubfrosch (the Tree Frog).

By now Opel cars already had a reputation for being cheap and reliable, a fact which helped the company survive inflation and still maintain the title of biggest car maker in Germany until 1928. But the depression was nearing and the Opel brothers were now in search of a partner to help them push on. That partner was the American GM who, in 1929, bought the majority of shares but left Opel all the decision-making when it came to car production.

By 1930 Opel was the largest manufacturer of cars in Europe. That and the fact that its partnership with GM gave it access to foreign markets made Opel the opportunity to expand production further and launch new models like the Opel Olympia, the first mass-produced car to have an all steel body and frame.

WWII was a hard time for the Opel factory and indeed the whole company. The first car to roll out of the factory after the war was the Blitz truck, and then, much later, passenger car production resumed with the Olympia. The factories weren't fully repaired until 1956 when Opel managed to produce its 2 millionth car.

Running at full capacity Opel opened up a new plant at Bochum where a new model, the Kadett, rolled out, marking a whole era for the German manufacturer. Next, the line up was diversified to include something for the sports car afficionados, the GT. Having made these changes, Opel retained its title as biggest car manufacturer in Germany in 1972.

What followed next could easily be interpreted as Opel's attempt to take over the world. In 1963 it opened a plant in Ellesmere Port, England, then in 67 a plant in Antwerp, Belgium with GM. In the 80s there are several more plants being opened around the Globe: Zaragoza, Spain in 1982, a transmission and engine plant in Viena, Austria that same year, in 1986 (also the year the Ascona is launched) a new GM plant in Zurich, Switzerland and in 1989, after buying 50% of Saab, an GM assembly plant is opened in Turkey.

As Vectra, the most successful model is launched in 1988, Opel introduces catalytic converters on all its cars. A year later the sporty Calibra is premiered, while the brand has already made 25 million cars since it first started out. in 1991 the Kadett is retired and Astra is named as successor. The Frontera and later the Monterey will be Opel's offroad vehicles launched one year apart, starting with 1991.

In 2000, Opel begins production of the Agila, a microvan, the first of its kind in Germany. But the new century isn't just abot new cars, it's also about reinventing the old, as the new generation of the Corsa is unveiled in 2001 and the second generation Astra. The sport market segment will be filled by the Speedster (2002) and the Tigra (2004).

Opel has made a point in staying ahead of the game and in bringing quality to the masses at affordable prices. Lately though, it seems that Opel might be trying to break into a whole new class, one with the other German heavy contenders, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche, where luxury is paramount, with the introduction of the 2008 Insignia.

The Mercedes-Benz history

In 1885 the townspeople of Cannstatt, Germany, were startled to see Paul Daimler, son of Gottlieb Daimler, roll away from No.14 Taubenheimstrasse on a wooden-spoked two-wheeler powered by a fraction of a horsepower four-cycle internal combustion engine. That belt driven motorcycle (actually a four-wheeler as it had two eight-inch diameter outrigger wheels to keep it stable when at a standstill) was the forerunner of all automobiles.

Gottlieb Daimler was the first man to harness with any true degree of success a combustion engine into a road vehicle. Granted there were horseless vehicle predecessors to Daimler's motorcycle but Daimler's was the first recognized internal combustion vehicle and the first to incorporate a practical transmission system.

Shortly after Daimler applied for his combustion motor patent, Carl Benz of Mannheim, Germany was granted a German patent covering a three-wheel motor car he constructed in 1844. This single cylinder, 3/4 hp, benzene fueled motor car had a combination of belts, chains and gears to transmit power to the rubber tired rear wheels but no gear change was possible.

Daimler's first four-wheeler, a Victoria-type motor driven carriage, was built in 1886. By 1890 demands for Daimler's engine made expansion necessary and a corporation was formed, the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. or Daimler Motor Company as it was known in English. Benz, with several associates formed another corporation, Benz & Company, at Mannheim.

Daimler continued his automotive research and prior to his death in 1900 was credited with such inventions as the honeycomb type radiator; the float type carburetor; V-twin cylinder engine (such as used in present-day Harley-Davidson motorcycles); interrupted low-tension electric ignition; four-cylinder engine; foot accelerator; and motor and transmission in one integral section.

The first recorded auto race, sponsored by the Petit-Journal of Paris in 1894 and conducted over a Paris to Rouen course, attracted forty-six entries and was looked forward to as a test of the steamer and electric versus the gas burners. The first three winning cars were powered by Daimler-built engines. From that time on the Daimler Mercedes and later (after 1926) the Mercedes-Benz were to gain continuing prestige through their high-speed performance.

A wealthy banker-sportsman Emil Jellinek of Vienna was much impressed by the success of the Daimler motor in racing competition. He purchased controlling stock interest in Daimler in the early 1890's and put nearly unlimited funds at the disposal of Gottlieb and Daimler's two sons, Paul and Adolph. It was Jellinek who encouraged Daimler in his idea to create what was to be the most powerful car of its day, a 35 h.p. Monster.

In 1900 the 4-cylinder Daimler was completed and the car was christened in honor of Emil Jellinek's beautiful daughter, Mercedes. The new car was an immediate sensation. From its flaring front fenders, rakish rearward sloping steering column to the T-head type cylinder construction and twin carburetors, the Mercedes was a beauty and did justice to its namesake.

Jellinek, controller of the Daimler plant, and father of the young lady for whom the 1900 luxury four-wheeler was named, was so obsessed with his interest in high-speed automobiles that for nearly' five years he held exclusive rights to the bulk of the Mercedes production and carefully limited the sale of the cars to individuals of known influence. Jellinek's own international reputation as a sportsman and his careful selection of purchasers of the limited number of Mercedes available placed the cars with an upper-bracket clientele which, nearly as much as the car's own intrinsic superior engineering and design, gave the Mercedes it's reputation as a quality and high performance product.

If one were to have made a post-war visit to the famous Mercedes-Benz factory at Unterturkheim, Germany in October, 1945, one would have good reason to conclude that no new cars would emerge from this site for at least another five years. The word "site" is used reservedly, for between 70 and 80 percent of the factory buildings had been destroyed by aerial bombardment and this same fate had overtaken most of the other plants at Sindelfingen and elsewhere. Additionally, a large quantity of the light machine tools had been dispersed during the war in what became the French occupied zone of Germany. Raw materials were practically non-existent and the technical staff disrupted by the de-Nazifying enactments which were then being enforced with the utmost severity. But in fact, it only took Dr. lng, W. Haspel and O. Hoppe, and their co-directors a matter of only three years to rebuild and re-equip the factories and to introduce the first post-war models. In 1948, the new four-door saloon, which was made in its entirety at Sindelfingen, followed closely on the lines of the 2.3 liter car of 1939.