BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. It is a world-renowned manufacturer of automobiles, ATVs, motorcycles and engines, occupying a leading position in the industry. Located in the city of Munich (Bavaria, Germany). It appeared in March 1916. He founded Franz Josef Popp, Camillo Castiglioni and Karl Rapp.
Meaning and history
The BMW logo flaunts the hoods of all brand vehicles, indicating the owners’ high status. This is an exceptional sign that perfectly complements the slogan “Freude am Fahren”, which means “Joy of Driving” in German.
The original range of the German company included aircraft engines, so they directly influenced the logo. The debut version consisted of a circle divided into four identical blue and white sectors, a black border and the inscription “BMW”. In fact, it was an airplane propeller against a blue sky.
But after World War I, Germany was banned from making aircraft, so the plant was retrained and began manufacturing farm equipment and train brakes. And finally, in 1923, he had his debut motorcycle with a blue and white BMW logo. Thus began a new era of branding.
After 5 years, the company bought the car factory in Eisenach and launched the production of its first car called Dixi. By the mid-1930s, BMW had grown into a large industrial conglomerate in Bavaria, and the corporation became the largest industrial consortium in Europe. And his logo was now considered a sign of prestige and high status.
1913-1917
RAPP Motorenwerke is a company in whose capacities the modern giant of the automotive industry will later emerge. Company logo a horse symbol enclosed in a circle.
1917-1936
The debut version is based on the icon that came from the BMW predecessor, the RAPP company. It was a circle with a horse in the center, surrounded by a wide strip in which the company name was inscribed. The text and font design were kept the same as in the prototype. But the image of the horse disappeared: improvised airplane blades appeared in the colors of the Bavarian flag.
In addition, the symbolism of the brand confirms: a good design remains forever. For many years of existence, the company logo has not changed much. Minor adjustments only affected the font and blue hue variations.
1923-1953
During this period, the first serious redesign of the logo took place. Each element has a dark gold border. Also, the blue has become intense and the font has become wide and bold.
1936-1963
In 1936, designers changed the thick border lines to a thin white, visually lightening the logo. And they used sky blue instead of blue and redefined the color of the abbreviation, turning it into a contrasting light against a dark background.
1963-1997
This logo acquired a different font and an almost cobalt tone.
1970-1989
During this period, BMW, which participated in sports racing, used a different logo to separate the sport from the mainstream of the company.
1997-2020
This period is characterized by the appearance of a medium convex volume and a metallic luster in the black ring. The 3D effect was achieved due to the fine lines in the center and the shine in the letter “B”.
2020 – Present
The modern version has undergone the most important changes. Instead of a wide black stripe, light silver is now depicted. The volume element has disappeared. A thin frame passes around the ring. The blue color is improved again.
Color
The current BMW logo is considered one of the most successful in the automotive industry, so little has changed. Evolution concerned only minor details. The graphic sign always consisted of a dark circle with the company abbreviated name. And the core was originally divided into four identical fragments with alternate color sectors.
The brand’s palette also remained almost unchanged, remaining within the Bavarian national colors. Black is the epitome of elegance and classics, white is a symbol of purity and appeal, blue is a sign of reliability and technical power, silver is a link to metal and metal products.
The font used in the current version appeared in 1953, although it was serialized at the time. But after 10 years, the serifs were removed, choosing Helvetica Black Condensed, a strict and smooth font that perfectly suits the automotive industry.