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A Brief History The Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) were officially formed as a Munich based aircraft engineering company in 1918 under the leadership of Franz Josef Popp. They began to produce motorbikes in the early 1920's, but their first car didn't arrive until 1927 in the form of the 3/15. Many classic models have followed over the years, notably the 2002 (the first mass produced turbo road car) and the classic 3.0 CSL. Their first supercar, produced in conjunction with Lamborghini, was the mid-engined M1 which heralded the first in a long line of distinguished motorsport badged 'M' cars. In an attempt to enter the saloon mass market, BMW bought Rover in the late 1990s. This ill fated venture was not successful, but did net them the Mini and Land Rover brands. Their takeover of Rolls Royce came soon after, following a lengthy battle with VW over naming rights. The familiar 3, 5, 6 and 7 series first saw production during the 1970s. The whole range undertook a radical new styling direction in 2000 under the supervision of design head Chris Bangle. His 'Flame Surfacing' styling cues were initially criticised but have matured over the years, particularly on the class leading 5-Series and popular Z4 roadsters. The current M6 and in particular the M5 are generally acclaimed as being amongst the best supercars in the world. These, along with variants from BMW's tuning arm Alpina, and BMW's off roading X3 and X5 models, have seen BMW into their most successful period to date. Gallery Selection
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