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.
BMW celebrates 40 years of the M
