The original company was founded by Karl Rapp as an engine manufacturer, building V12 engines for Austro-Daimler. Later, the small firm was joined by Camillo Castiglioni, Cornelius Jagdmann and Max Friz, and Bayerische Motoren Werke was born.
Today, BMW is one of the largest luxury carmakers in the world, selling more than a million vehicles annually and producing cars in most continents around the globe.