In this article
The BMW roundel — a black ring around blue and white quarters — is often said to depict a white propeller spinning against a blue sky, a nod to BMW’s origins in aircraft engines. It’s a great story, but BMW itself says it is a myth. The logo, registered in 1917, was derived from the round logo of its predecessor, Rapp Motorenwerke, with the letters BMW in the outer ring and the blue-and-white checks of the Bavarian state colors in the center. The propeller idea came from a 1929 BMW advertisement that showed the logo in a spinning propeller.
At a glance
| Registered | 1917 |
| Derived from | Rapp Motorenwerke’s circular logo |
| Center colors | Blue and white of Bavaria |
| Propeller link | A 1929 advertisement for BMW aircraft engines |
The real origin
When the company became Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1917, it kept the round shape and black outer ring of the Rapp logo, replacing the name with BMW and filling the center with blue and white quarters from the Bavarian flag. At the time, trademark rules restricted the use of state symbols in commercial logos, which is often cited as a reason the colors appear in a slightly different arrangement from the Bavarian flag’s pattern.
Where the propeller story came from
In 1929, BMW ran an advertisement for an aircraft engine it built under license, showing an airplane with the roundel superimposed on its spinning propeller. The image was so effective that the propeller interpretation stuck — and BMW itself repeated it for years. In recent years, BMW has publicly explained that the interpretation was popularized by advertising rather than being the logo’s original meaning.
The roundel today
BMW has updated the roundel several times, most recently with a flat, transparent-ring version used in communications from 2020, while cars keep a three-dimensional badge.
Logos with real stories
Other car logos have origins as interesting as BMW’s: the Mercedes-Benz star represents land, sea and air; Audi’s rings stand for four merged companies; the Rolls-Royce mascot has its own romantic tale. Read the Mercedes three-pointed star, Audi’s four rings and the Spirit of Ecstasy.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does the BMW logo represent a propeller?
Not originally. BMW says the propeller interpretation came from a 1929 advertisement; the logo was derived from its predecessor’s emblem and Bavaria’s colors.
Why is the BMW logo blue and white?
The blue and white come from the colors of the Free State of Bavaria, where BMW is based.
When was the BMW logo created?
It was registered in 1917.
