Why is BMW called Beamer?

There are many slang phrases that are used to refer to BMW vehicles. Some of these terms are “bimmer,” “beamer,” and “beemer.” But just where did they come from in the first place?

While “beamer,” “beemer,” and “bimmer” have always been popular among car enthusiasts in the English-speaking world, they have recently seen a surge in popularity among their peers in other parts of the globe.

A “beamer car” (or “Beemer automobile”) is technically wrong. When referring to a BMW car, the proper phrase is “bimmer”; “beemer” and “beamer” are really exclusively used to describe BMW motorcycles.

Where the name “Beamer” came from

The term “Beamer” was first used to differentiate the brand from another British manufacturer*, whose bikes were known as “Beezers.” BMW bikes, however, were very successful in British racing, particularly at the Isle of Man TT Races.

For instance, in 1939, Georg “Schorsch” Meier drove a BMW 255 Kompressor to victory in the Senior TT, making him the first non-British racer to achieve such a feat. In the decades after the war, he was succeeded by a succession of victorious BMW squads. Between 1923 and 1976, a total of 26 different drivers—including Walter Schneider, Max Deubel, Siegfried Schauzu, and Klaus Ender—took the checkered flag in a BMW.

Riders and fans of racing have dubbed BMW motorcycles “beemers” after the word “beezer” due to the two words’ resemblance. As it eliminates the challenging long W sound at the end, “Beemer” is more snappier and simpler to pronounce than BMW.

The English-speaking world adopted the term “beemer” as a common slang term for BMW motorcycles. The spelling variation “beamer” developed through time; its similarity to “beam” is likely accidental. BMW’s native Germany has never given rise to a distinct nickname, maybe because the brand’s name rolls off the tongue more naturally there.

The evolution of the word “bimmer” from “beemer.”

It was in the ’70s when the term “bimmer” first appeared. BMW cars have recently seen somewhat of a sales surge in the United States. Until the 1970s, Americans often referred to BMW automobiles and motorbikes with the same name, “beamers.” However, the Boston Chapter BMW club’s periodical has been named “Bimmer” since that time. A magazine aimed to American BMW enthusiasts with the same name as the Boston Chapter’s appeared on newsstands throughout the country at the same time, and the term “bimmer” eventually became the standard shorthand for BMW automobiles (as opposed to “beamer” or “beemer” for BMW motorcycles). Even in Germany, where the brand first struggled to gain traction, the name has now become popular among auto enthusiasts everywhere.

Here’s why the Chinese refer to a BMW as a “precious horse”

BMWs in China have been referred to as “bimmers” and “bao-ma” since the 1990s (bao rhymes with cow). This endearment literally means “lovely horse” in English.

Horses are revered as holy animals in Chinese culture, and their symbolic worth extends to their symbolic power over one’s competitors.

The car’s rise to prominence as a status symbol in China mirrors the horse’s decline in popularity as a mode of transportation there. BMW in particular is a status symbol for the well-off.

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