BMW in North America: 50 Years of the Ultimate Driving Machine.

From the first BMW 3.0 CSL on US tarmac to the world’s largest BMW Group plant, in South Carolina, and the new company headquarters at 200 BMW Drive: BMW has been a leader in the field since 1975 – sporty, high-tech and a commercial success. We look back on half a century of horsepower, pioneering spirit and pop culture. 

15 March 1975 marked the dawn of a new era at BMW: it was the date the company took over the Hoffman Motor Corporation in Montvale, New Jersey, and launched operations as the exclusive importer for BMW automobiles in the US. It was the start of BMW of North America and of an exceptional development: five decades of innovations, icons and inspiration – from the legendary BMW 3.0 CSL to construction of the BMW Group’s largest plant worldwide in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Seven million BMWs assembled in America have rolled off the production lines since, and the company’s four brands – BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad – have become firmly established. The BMW Group has not just made it in the US but long since laid down roots there too!

To coincide with BMW of North America’s 50^th anniversary, the BMW Group has set the course for the future by opening a new headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. BMW of North America’s new address is 200 BMW Drive. Since relocating from nearby Montvale in 1988, Woodcliff Lake has been where all the sites come together, from Development and Design to Training, Marketing and Sales.

The first BMW models to be sold in the US included the BMW 2002 and BMW 3.0 CSi. But BMW of North America’s success story didn’t just unfold in the offices alone but out on the race track too. Just a few days after the importer officially went into operation, BMW Motorsport made a resounding debut, with Brian Redman and Allan Moffat racing to glory at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in their BMW 3.0 CSL. It was BMW of North America’s first victory – a competition premiere that would cement the brand’s sportiness in the hearts of fans.

The race was also an opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings: the lettering across the top of the windscreen made clear once and for all that BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works and not British Motor Works, as many in the US still believed at the time. That same year, the New York advertising agency Ammirati & Puris coined the legendary tagline The Ultimate Driving Machine. It was to become a BMW trademark, and remains a clear statement of what BMW is about to this day.

Half a century later, BMW is a regular at Sebring – and on the starting line yet again in 2025. This year, two BMW M Hybrid V8 race cars in striking anniversary livery caused a sensation among fans. On pole position and in a strong fifth place, the team powerfully combined past and present, proving that BMW’s sporty DNA is as groundbreaking as ever.

Today the BMW Group’s activities across the country provide and support more than 120,000 jobs in the US. “The BMW Group feels truly at home in the United States,” says Jochen Goller, BMW AG Member of the Board of Management responsible for Sales. “We have a nationwide footprint consisting of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states – from Development and Production to Sales and Marketing. Our business and commitment in the United States is providing jobs, fostering investments and driving technological advancements.”

The significance of the BMW Group’s close ties with the US is most apparent in Spartanburg, South Carolina. In 1992 Spartanburg was where the BMW Group launched its first major production facility outside Europe. The debut vehicle was a BMW 318i Sedan in Alpine White and marked the start of an impressive growth trajectory. Today, after seven major expansions, Plant Spartanburg is the BMW Group’s largest production facility worldwide. Every day more than 1,500 Sports Activity Vehicles roll off the production lines here for customers in the US and across the globe. That’s 450,000 vehicles a year!

America is also the beating heart of BMW Group Design: part of the company’s global network since 1995, Designworks has today matured into a creative powerhouse. It was originally founded in California and has fundamentally shaped the look of several vehicles, from the first sketches to the final series models. Thanks to its signature style, Designworks has helped make BMW designs some of the most influential in the world.

When creativity meets tech, the result is not just cars but stories with plenty of character. BMW of North America has brought those stories to our screens to resounding effect and set standards in the process. In 2001 and 2002 a series of eight short films by famous Hollywood directors and starring the British actor Clive Owen went viral. Known as BMW Films, they racked up more than 100 million views, even before the days of high-speed internet and YouTube – and remain a pioneer of branded content to this day.

From the world of movies to the world of work: at the BMW Group there’s not much between them. Because creativity comes to bear not just in our products but in the way we work as well. And that’s exactly what the new headquarters at Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, stands for: progressiveness in both architecture and work culture. Or, in the words of Ilka Horstmeier, BMW AG Board Member for HR and Real Estate, at the official opening ceremony: “The ideal working environment onsite allows close collaboration. But this is not just about where we work but first and foremost how we work. It’s about introducing more agile ways of working and using digital tools and methods to boost our performance.”

Five decades after BMW launched in the US, the BMW Group has not only grown but matured as well. Its landmark anniversary celebrates the past but also sets the direction for the future.

BMW is known in America as the Ultimate Driving Machine – and for 50 years the company has delivered on that promise.  But there is so much more in our group that goes beyond the ultimate driving machine.  With a clear mindset, bold thinking and a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, we look forward to the next 50 years of driving progress and legacy beyond the machine in America.