Every BMW built since 1917 has worn a blue and white roundel, and the design has changed seven times without ever really changing. This page shows every version, dated, with what was altered each time — and settles the propeller question with BMW’s own account rather than the version that circulates online.
One thing to establish first, because it is the most common mistake made about the current badge: the flat logo BMW introduced in 2020 is not on the cars. It is a communication logo. The roundel on the bonnet of a new BMW is still the three-dimensional 2007 design. More on that below.
Every version of the BMW logo
BMW’s own press archive presents the logo chronology in six steps — 1917, 1933, 1954, 1974, 1979 and 2007 — with the 2020 communication logo added since. Each is shown below.
BMW roundel, 1917 original. Square, transparent background, 1200×1200 minimum.
Gold outer ring, black ring with BMW lettering, blue and white quarters.
BMW roundel, 1933 version. Square, transparent background, 1200×1200 minimum.
Note the enlarged lettering and the removal of the gold ring.
BMW roundel, 1954 version. Square, transparent background, 1200×1200 minimum.
BMW roundel, 1974 version. Square, transparent background, 1200×1200 minimum.
BMW roundel, 1979 version. Square, transparent background, 1200×1200 minimum.
BMW roundel, 2007 version. Square, transparent background, 1200×1200 minimum.
The three-dimensional treatment: gradients, highlight, drop shadow.
BMW communication logo, 2020. Square, transparent background, 1200×1200 minimum.
Flat, two-dimensional, no outer black ring fill — the transparent variant.
What changed at each step
Laid out side by side, the history is a story of subtraction. BMW has removed things from the badge far more often than it has added them.
| Version | What changed | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Gold outer ring, black band, small serif lettering | The original registered mark |
| 1933 | Gold ring removed; letters enlarged and moved onto the black band | Established the arrangement still used today |
| 1954 | Proportions and letterforms refined | Post-war corporate identity work |
| 1974 | Simplified for small-scale reproduction | Television and print demanded a badge that survived shrinking |
| 1979 | Ring weight and letter spacing adjusted | The badge of the E30 and E28 era |
| 2007 | Three-dimensional treatment: gradient, highlight, shadow | The current vehicle badge |
| 2020 | Flat, two-dimensional, transparent ring | Communication only — never applied to cars |
Two observations that are easy to miss. First, the fundamental composition — a circle, a band with four letters, four quarters in blue and white — has not changed once in over a century. Second, the only genuinely radical redesign is the one that does not appear on any car.
The 2020 change, and what it did not change
In March 2020 BMW introduced a new logo and a great many articles reported that BMW had redesigned its badge. That is half right in a way that matters.
BMW launched the new design worldwide on 3 March 2020, with a transition period for all communication — online, offline, trade fairs and events — running to 31 May 2021. The new mark is flat and two-dimensional, and its defining feature is that the ring is transparent rather than filled black, so whatever sits behind it shows through.
But BMW was explicit about the scope. In its own words, the new logo is a media brand mark used in addition to the existing logo, and it is not used on the vehicles or on the interior and exterior signage at dealerships, where the existing logo remains.
So there are currently two BMW logos in service at once: the flat transparent one for communication, and the 2007 three-dimensional roundel on the cars themselves. If you photograph a new BMW and compare its badge to BMW’s Instagram, they will not match, and neither is out of date.
The propeller: what BMW actually says
The story everyone knows is that the roundel is a propeller spinning against blue sky, a reference to BMW’s aircraft engines. It is repeated everywhere. It is also not where the design came from, and BMW itself is clear on the point.
The blue and white quarters are the colours of the Bavarian state flag. That is the origin, and it is why the badge looked the way it did in 1917.
The propeller came later. According to BMW Group’s account, the logo was first portrayed as a stylised rotating propeller in advertising material of the late 1920s — roughly a decade after registration. The company created the association itself, in an advertisement, and it worked so well that it is now told back as the original meaning.
Both facts are true and the order is what matters: Bavarian flag first, propeller advertising second. We go through the myth in more detail in what the BMW logo really means.
Why the quarters are reversed from the flag
A detail that trips up people who check: the Bavarian flag has white in the top-left, and the BMW roundel does not.
The reversal is deliberate and legal. Bavarian trademark law at the time prohibited the use of state coats of arms and other sovereign emblems in a commercial trademark. Presenting the colours in reversed order kept the design registrable. It is one of the few brand marks whose layout was determined by a technicality.
The M logo is a different thing
BMW M logo with the three stripes. Wide format, transparent background, 1600×600 minimum.
The blue, purple and red stripes beside the M.
The blue, violet and red stripes next to the M are not part of the corporate logo. They belong to BMW M and appear alongside the roundel rather than replacing it. The M in that badge stands for Motorsport; the M in Bayerische Motoren Werke stands for Motoren, engines. Different M, different meaning — a coincidence that causes endless confusion. The full account is in the BMW M logo explained.
The badge on BMW motorcycles
BMW Motorrad uses the same roundel. There is no separate motorcycle logo, which is unusual — most manufacturers with both a car and a motorcycle division separate them.
This is a direct consequence of the history covered in what BMW stands for: the company was an engine manufacturer before it was a car manufacturer, and the first BMW motorcycle arrived in 1923, five years before the first car. The badge belonged to the motorcycles first.
The i logo
BMW’s electric models use the standard roundel with an i prefix in the model name rather than a separate badge. There is no distinct i roundel on the car. Earlier BMW i communication used a blue accent ring, but the physical badge on an i4 or iX is the same roundel as on a 330i.
How to tell an original badge from a copy
Roundels are among the most counterfeited BMW parts, because they are visible, cheap to make badly and easy to sell. A few things separate a factory badge from a copy without removing it from the car:
- The quarters are painted under a clear layer, not printed on top. On copies the colour often sits at the surface and the boundary between quarters looks drawn rather than moulded.
- The lettering is crisp at the edges. Copies tend to have slightly soft or thickened letters, a giveaway when compared against the wheel centre caps on the same car.
- Colour consistency across the car. The bonnet, boot and four wheel caps should be the same blue. Aftermarket sets frequently are not.
- The reverse side carries a part number on genuine badges.
None of this is proof on its own, but a car with mismatched roundels is telling you something about how it has been maintained.
Where the logo appears on the car
Four places on a typical modern BMW, and they are not all the same size or finish:
- Bonnet — the largest, and the one people photograph.
- Boot lid — slightly smaller.
- Wheel centre caps — four small roundels, and the ones most often replaced with aftermarket copies.
- Steering wheel — on the airbag cover.
On many models since 2020 the bonnet roundel is a sealed panel rather than a badge on a grille, because it houses radar and camera equipment. It looks like the old badge and is a functional part.
Using the logo
Worth stating plainly, because this page will be found by people searching for a file to download: the BMW roundel is a registered trademark of BMW AG. Reproducing it in your own materials, on merchandise or in another company’s branding requires permission from BMW. The images on this page are here to document the design history.
BMW publishes press images of its brand marks through the BMW Group PressClub for editorial use, which is the appropriate route for journalists and publishers.
Common questions
Is the BMW logo a propeller?
No. The blue and white are the colours of the Bavarian flag. BMW’s own account says the logo was first shown as a stylised propeller in advertising of the late 1920s — years after the badge was registered in 1917.
Did BMW change its logo in 2020?
BMW introduced a new flat, transparent logo for communication on 3 March 2020. It is used in advertising and online, in addition to the existing logo. It is not used on the cars, where the 2007 three-dimensional roundel remains.
How many BMW logos have there been?
BMW’s press archive presents six versions of the vehicle logo — 1917, 1933, 1954, 1974, 1979 and 2007 — plus the 2020 communication logo.
Why is the BMW logo blue and white?
They are the colours of the state of Bavaria, where BMW was founded and is still headquartered.
Why are the colours reversed compared to the Bavarian flag?
Trademark law at the time prohibited using state emblems in a commercial mark. Reversing the order of the quarters kept the design registrable.
What do the blue, purple and red stripes mean?
They are the BMW M colours, belonging to BMW M GmbH. They are not part of the corporate logo and appear alongside the roundel.
Sources
- BMW Group — History: the blue-and-white logo in the Bavarian colours, the trademark registry entry of 30 September 1917, and the propeller interpretation introduced in advertising of the late 1920s.
- BMW Group PressClub — BMW logo in chronological sequence: the official sequence of versions, 1917 to 2007.
- BMW Group PressClub — Introducing BMW’s new brand design: the 3 March 2020 launch, the transition period to 31 May 2021, and the statement that the new logo is not used on vehicles or dealership signage.