In 1972 BMW brought together the company’s motor racing activities under the umbrella of a new company, BMW Motorsport GmbH. Former racing driver and team boss Jochen Neerpasch took over the reins and built the wholly-owned BMW subsidiary into a powerful race team – one that would go on to earn BMW countless triumphs in motor sport competition over the years that followed. The construction of ultra-sporty BMW road cars was also part of the company’s brief. In 1978 the BMW M1 super-sports car became the first BMW M model to make its debut, laying the building blocks for a tradition that continues to define BMW M to this day. By the early 1990s a new company name was required to reflect the BMW subsidiary’s wider spheres of activity, which now included BMW M cars, BMW Individual and BMW Driver Training. The legendary “M” provided the inspiration for the company’s rechristening as BMW M GmbH on 1 August 1993. Motor sport activities have since been handled by the specially formed BMW Motorsport division. BMW will be celebrating throughout the month with various activities being planned.