Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly referred to as BMW (German pronunciation: [ˈbeːˈʔɛmˈveː] (About this soundlisten)) is a German multinational company which produces automobiles 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.
Automobiles are marketed under the brands BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce, and motorcycles are marketed under the brand BMW Motorrad.
In 2015, BMW was the world’s twelfth largest producer of motor vehicles, with 2,279,503 vehicles produced.
BMW is headquartered in Munich and produces motor vehicles in Germany, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico.
BMW has significant motorsport history, especially in touring cars, Formula 1, sports cars and the Isle of Man TT.