The Top 20 BMW Cars of All Time

Exactly 100 years ago – March 7, 1916 – a small German company changed its name, from Rapp Motorenwerke to Bayerische Motorenwerke GmbH. It didn’t take long for the new name to be shortened to a concise, three consonant abbreviation: BMW. In the century that has transpired since, the company whose logo simultaneously pays homage to its origins in building aircraft engines and the colors of its home state’s flag has produced numerous automobiles that possess engaging driving dynamics, German precision and advanced technology. However, some Bimmers serve as key passages in the story of BMW, ones that could not possibly be given the ol’ heave-ho in some abridged version thereof. Consider the following 20 BMW automobiles, presented in order of introduction, those passages.