BMW M Logo

BMW M Logo PNG

Cars bearing the BMW M logo are only for brave, energetic, and fearless people. High-speed riding on them causes a wide range of emotions. It attracts buyers more than the exterior design of the body.

Meaning and History

From the archives of the BMW Group, it is known that the first version of the BMW M logo was introduced in 1973. It adorned the legendary 3.0 CSL car from the New Six family, which at that time was making its debut in the races. The final design of the model was developed by two people: Manfred Rennen (an employee of the company responsible for the exterior) and Pierre Mendell (a hired specialist). True, there was only a color scheme combined from red, purple, and blue at that time. And the letter “M” appeared much later – in 1978 when the BMW M1 left the track.

Over time, the logo has been improved. Instead of purple, a completely different color is used – dark blue. White has also been added to highlight the “M,” which used to be voluminous and silver but is now 2D in a 2020 update.

It is known that many people worked on the emblem of the unit. In addition to Manfred Rennen, who came up with the stripes, Wolfgang Seehaus (automotive interior designer) was involved in the process. Specialists of the Italian design bureau Italdesign were responsible for the “M” symbol, employees of the Swiss company Müller were responsible for the first version of the logo, and representatives of the German agency Pierre Mendell were responsible for the final version. Together, they managed to create an iconic sign that has hardly changed over the decades.

What is BMW M?

BMW M is the high-performance division of the German company Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. It was established in 1972 to produce sports cars and was originally known as BMW Motorsport GmbH. In 1993, the name was shortened to simplify the brand’s perception.

1972 – 1973

The BMW M sports car division was originally known as BMW Motorsport GmbH. This was reflected in its old logo, which featured concise black text on a white background. The bold sans-serif font, similar to Roger White’s Yoxall Bold, emphasized the brand’s seriousness and responsibility.

1973 – 1978

In 1973, a multilayered circular logo appeared on racing cars. In the center was a small circle divided into four white and blue segments, surrounded by a black ring with the white lettering “BMW.” The outer layer of the emblem consisted of asymmetrical blue, blue, white, and pink semicircles.

1978 – 1993

In 1978, the BMW M1 car debuted with a new emblem. The designers highlighted the main colors that characterized BMW Motorsport:

• blue – part of the corporate style of Bayerische Motoren Werke (inspired by the flag of the Free State of Bavaria);
• red – a symbol of motorsport;
• purple – a shade that results from the merging of blue and red, used for a beautiful transition between them.

It is believed that the choice of this palette is the work of Manfred Rennen and Wolfgang Seehaus, who are responsible for the exterior and interior design of cars. The logo represented the colors as three skewed stripes forming one large parallelogram. To the right of the geometric shape was a dark gray “M” – the first letter of the word “Motorsport.”

Rumors have it that red was initially chosen to win over Texaco, which was supposed to become a sponsor of BMW M. But the deal fell through when the emblem was already developed. The designers decided not to change anything, as the three-stripe livery suited the cars perfectly.

1993 – 2020

In 1972, the BMW Motorsport brand was born, later renamed BMW M. The racing cars of this division needed their recognizable symbol. It was a combination of three diagonal stripes of blue, dark blue, and red, based on a silver-gray letter “M.” The angles of the three-color lines and the leftmost stroke “M” coincided. For the design, the designers used a linear gradient. They also added darkened thin outlines to some elements.

2020 – today

BMW M executives decided to simplify the color scheme to make the logo easier to reproduce in printed materials. So the gradient disappeared, and the letter became just white. Shadows have also been removed. As far as we know, the employees of the Pierre Mendell studio worked on this option.

2022 – today

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, BMW M decided to revive the old circular logo that was used in the 1970s. Its new version appeared on cars released in March 2022. The emblem replaced the standard white and blue circles on the wheel hubs and the front and rear bumpers. The modern version differs from the classic one with a darker color scheme. The letters “B,” “M,” and “W” are no longer white but gray. The semicircle, which used to be a soft pink, is now burgundy. The inner circle has become larger, as has the black ring surrounding it.

Font and Colors

Given that the division produces racing modifications to cars, its graphic should be dynamic. Designers conveyed the energy of movement through speed lines – three stripes pressed against the “M.” The fact that they are directed in the same direction, and their identical width and length emphasize the high speed of sports cars. This emblem was given the unofficial name Giugiaro M.

The large “M” for the brand name is in italic, bold sans-serif. The current version is white, and the lines adjacent to it have three colors: blue, dark blue, and red. In the past, purple was used instead of dark blue. He represented a combination of red and blue, in which the side stripes were painted. There is a possibility that the red originally symbolized the Texaco Grand Prix, while the blue was taken from the BMW logo. As director Jochen Neerpasch admitted, this color scheme was chosen because the shades did not merge in black and white shots.

BMW M color codes