[kenboy]

Can anyone tell me what the blue roundel stands for?

Updated with answer:

"It turns out that not even BMW's spokespeople know that its Roundel emblem wasn't inspired by a spinning propeller. It's a common misconception, one that's finally been cleared up by BMW spokesman Tom Plucinsky, who explained that the company used to think its recognizable logo was tied to its aeronautical history. Plucinsky's colleague Dave Buchko had initially told the The New York Times that the logo was intended as a stylized image of a spinning propeller before being corrected by Anne Schmidt-Possiwal of the BMW Museum in Munich. To his credit, Buchko did correct the error himself once the real story came to light.

So what's the real origin? It turns out the blue-and-white logo was used in a 1929 ad that placed roundels in the rotating propellers of an airplane. It's easy to see where the confusion came from. The blue and white quadrants at the heart of the logo are actually intended to signify the state colors of Bavaria, and this isn't the first time the logo's origin has been examined in detail – historians have traced the logo's evolution from the Rapp Motorenwerke all the way through today."

[McLuVan]

at first people thought the roundel was an airplane propeller since bmw built aircraft early in
but later bmw said the roundel is simply the barvian flag

[foosh]

Numerous sources including "Roundel Magazine" have said the alternating blue and white quarter circles are a symbolic representation of a spinning propeller. BMW was known for it's aircraft engines in the earlier days of aviation through WWII.

Others dispute this, but it is the most commonly circulated explanation. Oh yes, there is the Bavarian flag interpretation as well.

[Genro757]

This answer was given to me during the Regensburg factory tour (where they make the M3 coupe and sedan, 3 series coupe and sedan, and 1 series sedan)...the blue and white are the Bavarian State colors...the round shape represents turning propellers in air craft...where BMW first started making engines

[IND-Distribution]

This was BMW's old logo in the early 1900's.

[southlight]

Originally Posted by McLuVan

at first people thought the roundel was an airplane propeller since bmw built aircraft early in
but later bmw said the roundel is simply the barvian flag

That's right. Have a look at this blog article of the New York Times: http://www.leftlanenews/living-a-lie...propeller.html

In last Sunday’s Automobiles section, I wrote about visiting a quartet of German car museums. At the BMW Museum in Munich, my affable tour guide, Anne Schmidt-Possiwal, explained that the blue-and-white company logo did not represent a spinning propeller, but was meant to show the colors of the Free State of Bavaria.

The Wikipedia entry on BMW's history confirms this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_BMW#BMW_logo


Best regards,
south

[southlight]

Originally Posted by Ilia@IND

This was BMW's old logo in the early 1900's.

According to the above quoted Wikipedia article, the trademark on the BMW roundel was registered on Dec 10th 1917. The picture you posted was firstly used in an ad campaign in 1929. So, this was a new interpretation, but not the initial motive.


Best regards,
south

[jaglacs]

Quoted from Autoblog.com

"It turns out that not even BMW's spokespeople know that its Roundel emblem wasn't inspired by a spinning propeller. It's a common misconception, one that's finally been cleared up by BMW spokesman Tom Plucinsky, who explained that the company used to think its recognizable logo was tied to its aeronautical history. Plucinsky's colleague Dave Buchko had initially told the The New York Times that the logo was intended as a stylized image of a spinning propeller before being corrected by Anne Schmidt-Possiwal of the BMW Museum in Munich. To his credit, Buchko did correct the error himself once the real story came to light.

So what's the real origin? It turns out the blue-and-white logo was used in a 1929 ad that placed roundels in the rotating propellers of an airplane. It's easy to see where the confusion came from. The blue and white quadrants at the heart of the logo are actually intended to signify the state colors of Bavaria, and this isn't the first time the logo's origin has been examined in detail – historians have traced the logo's evolution from the Rapp Motorenwerke all the way through today."

[foosh]

History is an imprecise discipline, at best, and over time it is constantly revised. What is said today may not have represented what was said over various eras at the company.

There is no question that the company was completely preoccupied with aircraft engines in WWI and WWII, but, of course, today there are compelling geo-political reasons for today's BMW to distance itself from that era. Among other things, the BMW aircraft engines in WWII were built primarily with slave labor from the concentration camps. Of course, the U.S. Capitol Building was also built primarily with slave labor.

I could envision a BMW management 50 years from now going back to the explanation that it represents a "spinning propeller in the colors of Bavaria" to honor it's earliest roots.

[mkoesel]

The Roundel is actually widely believed to be a special type of crosshair for aiming douche-nuggets arbitrarily at passers by. It is a sort of like a BMW "scent gland" that tells other drivers to be aware that a potential jack ass is in the area, and that they should be hostile and rude for no other apparent reason.

[3s-a-charm]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

The Roundel is actually widely believed to be a special type of crosshair for aiming douche-nuggets arbitrarily at passers by. It is a sort of like a BMW "scent gland" that tells other drivers to be aware that a potential jack ass is in the area, and that they should be hostile and rude for no other apparent reason.

Still, I get the flag thing but why is it round? Usually everything within a logo signifies something. Perhaps it's round for the propellers but the blue/white is for the flag?

[Sidh135i]

I always wanted to know the origin of the roundel, thanks for the info!

[dimabimmer]

Propeller against Blue Sky....other than that I could care less

[Georgeair]

Originally Posted by foosh

There is no question that the company was completely preoccupied with aircraft engines in WWI and WWII, but, of course, today there are compelling geo-political reasons for today's BMW to distance itself from that era.

BINGO!

Not to mention, the politically insensitvity of the supposed in-your-face message of a propeller symbol immediately post-war when they were prohibited from aircraft manufacture.