Why BMW forced to move from aircraft engines to Motorcycles?

BMW is a well-known name for everyone but the majority of the people don't know about the story behind the name, The official founding date of BMW is march 7th, 1916, when an aircraft engine manufacturer called Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG was formed. This company was renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) in 1922.

These are the logos from 1923 to 2020

                                                    

BMW's first product was a straight-six aircraft engine called the BMW Illa, following the end of WW-I, it remained in business by producing motorcycle engines, farm equipment, household items, and railway brakes. The company produced its first motorcycle, The BMW R32 in 1923.

BMW R 32

                                               

            

The Actual reasons are, During WW-I, against the wishes of its director Franz Josef Popp, BMW concentrated on aircraft engine production, with motorcycles as a sideline and automobile manufacture stopped altogether. BMW's factories were heavily bombed during the war and its remaining West German facilities were banned from producing motor vehicles or aircraft after the war. Germany was locked in a battle with British and French for air superiority, and Fokker D.VII helped give it a leg up. the garishly painted biplane was a threat to the allies with the ability to fire into the underbellies of other aircraft.

After the end of the war in 1918, BMW was forced to cease aircraft-engine production by terms of the TREATY OF VERSAILLES which explains the most important of the peace treaties that bought World War I to an end, the treaty ended the state of war between Germany and allied powers it was signed on 28 June 1919 in Versailles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles). 

Treaty of Versailles

Again, the company survived by making pots, pans, and bicycles. The shares in BMW AG were owned by the Viennese financed Camillo Castiglioni (33%), the Nuremberg industrialist Fritz (33%), Bayerische Bank (17%) and Norddeutsche Bank (17%). To remain in business, BMW produced farm equipment, household items, and railway brakes. The BMW M2B15 industrial engine also used in various motorcycles, including the 1920 Helios model built by Bayerische Flugzeugwerhe (later merged with BMW)

In 1948, BMW restated motorcycle production and resumed car production too in 1952 with the BMW 501 luxury saloon, the range was expanded in 1955, through the production of the cheaper Isetta microcar under license. The slow sales of luxury cars and small profit margin from microcars meant BMW was in serious financial trouble and in 1959 the company was nearly taken over by Daimler- Benz but, a large investment in BMW by Herbert Quandt and Harald Quadnt resulted in the company surviving as a separate entity.  

Finally, BMW never gave up an aero-engine design. "By the outbreak of WW-II, the BMW 801 radial engine powers one of the premier German Nazi fighters, the FOCKE WULF FW190 in the below photograph. Once again, BMW is a major player in aircraft fighter development and performance during the second World War. 

BMW made engines for WW-II 

Some unknown fact about BMW is, it didn't even design its first car, though The Dixi was actually an English Austin. In America, Bantam built the same car. In Japan it was Datsun. Austin designed and built the chassis to be used under license around the world, and several companies jumped at the chance to avoid the inherent developed costs associated with making a car. that said BMW's first dealership in Berlin was much nicer than its global competitors. 

Sources: Wikipedia, BMW website, Google images & https://www.thrillist.com/cars/bmw-21-facts-you-didn-t-know-about-the-german-luxury-car-manufacturer.

~~ Urs Mukky_shri.
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