BMW is a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945. The name BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, which roughly translates to the Bavarian Engine Works Company. BMW produces complete automobiles in several countries, including Germany, Austria, the United States, Mexico, and China. Therefore, BMW is a German car company.