Like most other German aircraft engines at that time, the BMW IIIa was designed as a straight-six engine. What was different from most rival products was that it was built for high altitudes.

At the 1935 German Motor Show, BMW not only presented two new motorcycle models, the R 12 and the R 17, but also a worldwide innovation – the world’s first hydraulically-damped telescopic forks.

The BMW 328 set new standards with its innovative lightweight chassis and aluminium cylinder heads. Its streamlined silhouette ensured enhanced aerodynamics and eye-catching appeal.

At the International Geneva Motor Show in early 1954, BMW presented the type 502 with a 2.6-litre, eight-cylinder alloy engine. With 100 horsepower, this model was one of the fastest touring cars on the market.

To consolidate the company, the Supervisory Board appointed Dr. Heinrich Richter-Brohm Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG in 1957. One of his first acts was to establish a market research department, which conducted comprehensive market monitoring in Germany and abroad.

The new BMW head office was designed as a high-rise suspension building with four suspension pillars. Its unique design, construction and structural engineering are still considered innovative forms of civil engineering. The building has since been classified as a listed monument. The BMW Group Plant Leipzig and BMW Welt have continued this tradition of innovative architecture.

BMW AG has always been a pioneer in its industry: In 1973, it became the first company in the automotive sector to appoint an environmental officer. The BMW Group is also the only automotive company to make the top three in the Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index established in 1999 every year for the past 15 years.

In 1983, BMW’s first-ever diesel car immediately set the standard. The new six-cylinder engine offered excellent driving performance and very smooth running with good fuel economy. With the world’s fastest series-produced turbo diesel engine, BMW demonstrated in impressive style that signature BMW driving pleasure and diesel technology are not mutually exclusive.

The first-ever electronically-controlled antilock braking system for series-produced motorcycles was developed in cooperation between BMW, FAG and Hella. When the bike brakes on unexpectedly slippery road surfaces, the front and rear wheels are controlled separately, but in a synchronised manner.

The BMW Group demonstrated its leadership once again in 1991 with the BMW K 1. This motorcycle set the new standard with the first regulated three-way catalytic convertor in a series-produced model.

BMW presented the BMW E1 at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 1991. This was the first car of the modern age designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle. Its electric engine, built specially for this model car, had an output of 32 kW/45 hp and was located in the rear axle with direct transmission to the rear wheels.

BMW became the first manufacturer worldwide to introduce a fully-variable valve lift system in the new and innovative VALVETRONIC engine in the BMW 316ti. The new engine delivered a maximum output of 115 hp.