BMW is one of the longest-serving companies in the world, known first and foremost for the sporty nature of the vehicles it has been building throughout the decades. What’s more, the company also made a name for itself in various motorsport competitions such as Formula One, Formula Two, DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters), Le Mans, Dakar Rally, and various other endurance racing series.

The brand’s history hasn’t been a smooth one, as BMW had to build airplane engines to stay afloat as well as frying pans at some of its lowest career moments. The company traces its roots back to 1916, when Karl Rapp and Gustav Otto merged their companies in what would become the BMW we know today. The official founding date of BMW is March, 7, 1916.

What is the BMW Group?

Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly known as BMW, is a multinational company that manufactures cars and motorcycles. It’s also the only automobile and manufacturer worldwide that concentrates all of its brands in the premium segment. As of 2018, BMW Group amassed 134,563 employees, out of which 90.6 percent (121,994) worked in the automotive segment.

The BMW Group is split between product brands and service marks. The brands currently included in BMW AG’s portfolio are, as follows:

-* BMW

-* BMW i

-* BMW M

-* MINI

-* John Cooper Works

-* Rolls-Royce

-* BMW Motorrad (the motorcycle division).

What’s more, the services the BWM Group provides include:

-* DriveNow

-* ReachNow

-* ParkNow

-* ChargeNow

-* Digital Energy Solutions

-* Alphabet

-* BMW Group Financial Services

-* Designworks

Who Owns BMW Shares?

The BMW Group is owned by shareholders, a status marked by the AG (Aktiengeselleschaft) denomination. BMW is owned between Stefan Quandt (29 percent), Susanne Klatten (21 percent), and public investors (50 percent) also known as Public Float.

Where Are BMWs Made?

BMW relies on production plans scattered around the world. In the U.S., for example, BMW operates a plant in Spartanburg, but the company also runs an assembly facility in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. There’s also the Rosslyn plant in South Africa, the Rayong plant in Thailand, and plants Dadong, Shenyang and Tiexi, Shenyang, in China.

Europe, however, remains BMW’s favorite playing ground when it comes to plants. The Group runs no less than 12 assembly facilities in Europe, located in:

-* Steyr (Austria)

-* Berlin (Germany)

-* Dingolfing (Germany)

-* Eisenach (Germany)

-* Munich (Germany)

-* Leipzig (Germany)

-* Landshut (Germany)

-* Wackersdorf (Germany)

-* Regensburg (Germany)

-* Oxford (UK)

-* Hams Hall (UK)

-* Swindon (UK)