What Is the BMW Logo?
The BMW logo is a round badge: a black outer ring carrying the letters BMW around a circle split into blue and white quarters. It belongs to Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the Munich maker of cars and motorcycles, which dates its founding to 7 March 1916.
The sub-brands BMW M and BMW i have communication logos of their own, which BMW redrew alongside the roundel in 2020. The black-ringed badge is available as the BMW logo SVG.
BMW Logo Facts
| Introduced | 1917 |
| Symbol | A circle in blue and white quarters inside a ring lettered BMW |
| Logo type | Emblem: lettering and symbol in one badge |
| Earlier mark | The ring badge of Rapp Motorenwerke |
| Owner | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG |
What the BMW Logo Means
The blue and white quarters are the colours of Bavaria, the German state where BMW was founded. Rules at the time barred companies from putting state coats of arms in their trademarks, so BMW used the colours in plain quarters instead of copying the Bavarian arms. The black ring with the company name was carried over from Rapp Motorenwerke, which framed its own logo the same way.
In 2020 BMW gave the ring a transparent version so that it takes on the colour of whatever sits behind it. Jens Thiemer, BMW's senior vice president for customer and brand at the time, said the change stood for openness and clarity.
BMW Logo History
BMW grew out of Rapp Motorenwerke, a Munich maker of aircraft engines, which was renamed Bayerische Motorenwerke in 1917. The roundel was registered as a trademark in October of that year. It first appeared on a product with the R 32 motorcycle of 1923, and on a car with the 3/15 PS DA 2 of 1929.
In 1997 BMW gave the badge a three-dimensional, metallic look. On 3 March 2020 it introduced a flat version with a transparent ring, first shown with the Concept i4. BMW made it a communication logo for its website, social channels and events; the badges on its cars and dealerships kept the black ring.
The Propeller Myth
Many people believe the roundel shows a spinning propeller against a blue sky. The story comes from a 1929 BMW advertisement for a new engine, which placed the badge over the turning propellers of a plane, twelve years after the logo was registered. BMW's own history notes that the logo was first portrayed as a rotating propeller in late-1920s advertising, and a company publication repeated the idea in 1942. Fred Jakobs of BMW Group Classic has called it a myth that BMW long did nothing to dispel.
BMW was not alone in going flat: in July 2020 Toyota did the same with its emblem for European communications (compare the Toyota logo).
For more brands like BMW, browse our car logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the BMW logo a propeller?
No. The roundel was registered in 1917, and the propeller idea came from a 1929 advertisement that showed it on a plane's spinning propellers.
Why is the BMW logo blue and white?
Blue and white are the colours of Bavaria, the state where BMW was founded.
What does BMW stand for?
Bayerische Motoren Werke, German for Bavarian Motor Works.
Why is the ring transparent in some BMW logos?
That is the flat communication logo BMW introduced in March 2020. The badges on its cars kept the black ring.