What it’s like visiting the BMW Museum in Munich for a first timer

So when I recently found myself in Munich, the last stop in an action-packed six-week European holiday, I wanted to make the most of being in the hub for some of the biggest car brands in the world… and I also wanted to buy my dad a gift from BMW World. So, with my two-birds, one stone mentality, I decided to spend a few hours wandering around the BMW Museum.

To my surprise, I actually took a lot more out of the experience than I originally thought I would, and it was interesting to learn about the beginnings of BMW, how they came to be, and how they found their place in history on the roads, as well as in the skies.

I had never given much thought as to the origins of how the first BMW engine came to be on the roads, but I certainly found out!

The first BMW product intended for the roads was the BMW R 32 motorcycle. Much like the early BMW aircraft engines, the modified ‘small Bavarian engine’ gained attention due to its technical features, as well as being built to the notorious high standards and quality BMW are known for still to this day.

Next on agenda was to find out how BMW came to be the car manufacturer it is in 2019. Unsurprisingly, this information was readily available at the museum.

Shortly before the Great Depression hit, BMW purchased a manufacturer of cars and military equipment in 1928. While today the company is known for its cars, at the time it was a huge risk, as BMW had no experience in the production or sales of cars. From this venture, the BMW 3/15 PS came to be, not only helping them penetrate a new market area, but also introducing them to the conveyor belt, which was a new assembly method at the time.

You could get lost in the BMW Museum, due to the sheer size, but also thanks to all the rooms that showcases so many difference eras and aspects of the company.

Something that was cool to see was the BMW 328, which is considered on the most successful and best-looking sports cars of the 1930s. The history of this car, and the amount of sports car races it won – after modifications allowed it to compete – and being able to see on up close was an interesting experience, as was seeing a BMW WR 500, which broke land speed records during the 30s.

BMW doesn’t shy away from the darker elements of its history, including the role it played during World War II.

This came as a bit of a surprise and having visited Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site days previous to my museum visit; I gained a deeper understanding of role BMW played when it came to the employment of forced labourers and concentration camp prisoners in its workforce.

While the company describes its part as its “darkest chapter” in its history, today BMW have started research projects to clarify the role during the war years, as well as issuing an apology and expressing their “profound regret” for these actions, in 2016.

Despite walking into the museum with a limited view, I left feeling as though my wanderings through the BMW Museum helping in gaining more of a understanding of the company, helped along the way with interesting facts from their history, as well as making me lust over a few sports car, like the BMW 507, or a 1986 BMW 325i (which, to my amazement, I found myself with, after my car-mad dad purchased the exact same model several years ago!).

You don’t need to be a rev-head, or a BMW faithful to enjoy your time at the museum, or BMW World (where you can get up close and personal with a Rolls Royce!) to enjoy yourself there, find out something new, and open your mind to the world of BMW.

If I had a BMW, I’d pose for a photo in the boot too.

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