BMW is a German multinational corporation which produces luxury vehicles and motorcycles. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced from 1917 until 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945. In 2015, BMW was the world's twelfth-largest producer of motor vehicles, with 2,279,503 vehicles produced. The company has significant motorsport history, especially in touring cars, Formula 1, sports cars and the Isle of Man TT. BMW is headquartered in Munich and produces motor vehicles in Germany, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Mexico. The Quandt family is a long-term shareholder of the company (with the remaining shares owned by public float), following brothers Herbert and Harald Quandt's investments in 1959 which saved the company from bankruptcy.
-BMW is the parent company to Rolls-Royce and Mini. -BMW is the world’s largest premium car brand. -In 2015, BMW was the world’s twelfth-largest producer of motor vehicles.
During World War II, many BMW factories were moved out of Germany for fear of Allied bombing. One of these was the facility at Allach which produced ceramic vases, urns, and figurines. As demand for military hardware increased, production of these items ceased and the Allach facility began producing components for Messerschmitt aircraft engines.