 | |
| Formerly | BMW |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automobile and motorcycle manufacture |
| Founded | c. 1945 Eisenach, East Germany |
| Defunct | During the 1950s |
| Successor | BMW Opel Eisenach (factory) |
| Headquarters | |
| Products | Automobiles Motorcycles |
Eisenacher Motorenwerk (EMW) was an East German manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles based in Eisenach. EMW also entered Formula One as a constructor in 1953, but participated in only one race, the 1953 German Grand Prix. The car retired after 12 laps with exhaust problems. [1]
One of the pre-World War II BMW factories was located in Eisenach, which after the war was taken over by the Soviets, since Eisenach was situated in the Soviet occupation zone. The factory continued producing cars and motorcycles under the BMW brand, but after a lawsuit in 1952 they had to change the name to EMW instead. The logotype was also similar, but instead of the blue BMW used, EMW used red.
The Kasernierte Volkspolizei (a paramilitary police branch which preceded the National People's Army) and the succeeding East German armed forces needed vehicles and expressed interest in reviving production of the BMW 325, an unsuccessful wartime off-road Einheits-PKW (standardized passenger vehicle) built by BMW in Eisenach. This was developed into the new EMW 325/3, of which 166 were built in 1952. [2] This remilitarization, however, was in violation of the terms of the Potsdam Conference and led to protests from the West. [3]
Later the automobile section of EMW became VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach and built the Wartburg. Motorcycle manufacture ended in the 1950s and was replaced by the AWO 425 built by Simson at Suhl.
| Official name(s) | Eisenacher Motorenwerk |
|---|---|
| Base | Eisenach, East Germany |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Engines | EMW 2.0l L6 |
| Entrants | Rennkollektiv EMW |
| First entry | 1953 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1953 German Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 1 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
(key)
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | EMW R2 | EMW L6 | D | ARG | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | SUI | ITA | n/a* | n/a* | |
 Edgar Barth | Ret | ||||||||||||||
Source: [1] | |||||||||||||||
* Constructors' Championship not awarded until 1958.
BMW's motorcycle history began in 1921 when the company commenced manufacturing engines for other companies. BMW's own motorcycles—sold under the BMW Motorrad brand—began in 1923 with the BMW R 32, which was powered by a flat-twin engine. Production of motorcycles with flat-twin engines continues to this day, however BMW has also produced many models with other types of engines.
NSU Motorenwerke AG, or NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. Acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969, VW merged NSU with Auto Union, creating Audi NSU Auto Union AG, ultimately Audi. The name NSU originated as an abbreviation of "Neckarsulm", the city where NSU was located.
Wilfried Edgar Barth was a German Formula One and sports car racing driver.
Rudolf Krause was a racing driver from East Germany.
Throughout its history, BMW cars and motorcycles have been successful in a range of motorsport activities. Apart from the factory efforts, many privateer teams enter BMW road cars in touring car racing. BMW also entered cars or provided engines in Formula One, Formula Two and sportscar racing. BMW is currently active in IMSA, the Isle of Man TT, the North West 200, the Superbike World Championship and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.
FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is the only remaining original FIM road racing championship class that started in 1949.
Industrieverband Fahrzeugbau, usually abbreviated as IFA, was a conglomerate and a union of companies for vehicle construction in the former East Germany.
The Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE) was an automobile manufacturer in Eisenach, Germany.
Heinz Melkus was an East German race car driver and constructor of sport cars.
Paul Greifzu was a German motorsport racer and constructor from Suhl. He was successful before and after World War II with motorcycles and sports cars. He also made Formula Two cars labeled under his own name.
The official founding date of the German motor vehicle manufacturer BMW is 7 March 1916, when an aircraft producer called Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was established. This company was renamed to Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) in 1922. However, the BMW name dates back to 1917, when Rapp Motorenwerke changed its name to Bayerische Motoren Werke. BMW's first product was a straight-six aircraft engine called the BMW IIIa. Following the end of World War I, BMW remained in business by producing motorcycle engines, farm equipment, household items and railway brakes. The company produced its first motorcycle, the BMW R32, in 1923.
The BMW 501 was a luxury car manufactured by BMW from 1952 to 1958. Introduced at the first Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951, the 501 was the first BMW model to be manufactured and sold after the Second World War, and as the first BMW car built in Bavaria. The 501 and its derivatives, including the V8 powered BMW 502, were nicknamed “Baroque Angels” by the German public. The BMW 502 was the first postwar German car to be manufactured with a V8 engine.
The BMW 326 is a medium-sized sedan produced by BMW between 1936 and 1941, and again briefly, under Soviet control, after 1945. The 326 was BMW's first four-door sedan. It had an innovative design and sold well despite its relatively high price. It also had an unusually involved afterlife.
The BMW 327 is a medium-sized touring coupé produced by the Bavarian firm between 1937 and 1941, and again produced after 1945. It sat on a shortened version of the BMW 326 chassis.
The BMW 340, subsequently rebadged as the EMW 340, was a large six-cylinder four-door passenger saloon produced at Eisenach initially in the name of BMW. Five-door 340 station wagons were also manufactured. It was described in 1948 as the first new car model produced in Germany after the war: despite new body panels, under the skin it was a modified version of the BMW 326 with which it shared its engine and wheelbase, and which had originally been commercialised in 1936. The 326 had nevertheless been an innovative and well regarded product and the 340, which incorporated several improvements, was seen as a desirable car well into the 1950s. Early years were dogged by disputes centred on ownership of the plant where it was assembled and its manufacturers’ rights to use the BMW name. The cars later appeared badged as EMW 340s, and it was under this name that 340s continued to be sold until at least 1953.
The BMW 321 is a compact six-cylinder automobile produced by the Bavarian firm between 1938 and 1941. After 1945, production of the 321 resumed at the Eisenach plant and continued until 1950.
The automotive industry in Germany is one of the largest employers in the world, with a labor force of over 857,336 (2016) working in the industry.
The Veritas Meteor was a Formula One and Formula 2 race car that raced for Veritas and private stables from 1951 until 1954.
The AWE racing cars were a series of racing cars that were constructed between 1953 and 1955 in the Eisenach automobile plant by the EMW/AWE racing collective based there and used in national and international races from 1954 to 1956.
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