As you can read in our BMW history section, BMW's origins are closely related to the production of the aircraft engines, hence the company logo. The logo comprised of four quadrants of alternating white and blue color. It is a stylized representation of an airplane propeller spinning against the clear blue sky. Also, white and blue are the traditional colors of Bavaria. The three letters stand for Bayerische Motoren Werke, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works.
BMW has slightly changed the logo through the history. The main thing to know about this screw on cloisonné emblems is not to over tighten them. This will distort the base metal and will crack the cloisonné enamel. A rubber gasket is mounted between the emblem and metal to help cushion it. A properly tightened screw can almost be turned with a strong thumbnail. The screw slots aren’t "aligned" because they were left where they came to the proper tension. Many have been cracked because the installer wanted to be sure they stayed on or wanted the slots to be lined up and went a bit too far. Some of the tank surfaces are not flat to start with. They must have a curved emblem to fit. The enamel emblem will not conform (flex) to fit a curved surface. You will ruin them.
The BMW logo is a registered trademark of the BMW Corporation.
The blue-and-white circular logo BMW is still used today.
Different sizes and versions of the BMW logo
Old BMW logo - around 1940s
