BMW
After the end of World War I in 1918, BMW was forced to cease aircraft engine production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty. To remain in business, BMW produced farm equipment, household items and railway brakes. In 1922, former major shareholder Camillo Castiglioni purchased the rights to the name BMW, which led to the company descended from Rapp Motorenwerke being renamed Süddeutsche Bremse AG (known today as Knorr-Bremse). Castiglioni was also an investor in another aircraft company, called "Bayerische Flugzeugwerke", which he renamed BMW.The disused factory of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was re-opened to produce engines for buses, trucks, farm equipment and pumps, under the brand name BMW. BMW's corporate history considers the founding date of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (7 March 1916) to be the birth of the company.
Kumho BMW Championship
The BMW Car Club Championship was started in 1987 by husband and wife team, John and Linda McVicker. The Championship was an amateur club series, for BMW owners who wished to race their BMW's at all the national circuits in the UK. The championship was open to all types of BMW from 2002s to CSLs, Bat Mobiles, new or old. The first race meeting took place on a cold and overcast Saturday at Silverstone where it the club managed to field a full grid.