Bayerische Motoren Werke AG commonly referred to as BMW. BMW is a German multinational company that produces luxury vehicles and motorcycles. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which is produced from 1917 until 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945. BMW is headquartered in Munich and produces motor vehicles in Germany, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico.