In the 1970s, when the German carmaker initially began its motorsports racing program, the famous /M logo of BMW was created. The italicized “M” of the logo is followed by various colored stripes, each of which has a distinct significance.
The blue stripe, according to BMW Blog, symbolizes both the automaker and the Bavarian area from which it is derived. The red stripe commemorates Texaco, a major American oil company that collaborated with BMW in the early stages of M racing. As red and blue combine to form purple, the central purple stripe stands for their cooperation.
BMW made a minor change to the M emblem in recent years, swapping the purple stripe with a dark blue one. The symbol is still widely recognized, though.
In fact, the three stripes are tastefully incorporated into both the exterior and inside of every BMW M-badge car. Even vehicle upholsterers are finding it difficult to come up with fresh, original methods to use the colors to adorn the cabins.
Of course, using the proper thread and colors is necessary in order to pull off these small but significant elements.
Amann’s Serafil polyester thread, which is used by BMW, is available at JPM Coachworks in Smyrna, Georgia.
According to Joseph Pavich of JPM Coachworks, “the most popular colors individuals choose for the tri-stitch are red 504, light blue 7463, and dark blue 1078.” “Most modern wheels use a significantly thicker Tex size 207 (Ticket size 15), while older wheels used a Tex size 138 (Ticket size 20).”
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M Stripe colors, BMW Motorsport’s beginnings
The BMW M Division was founded in 1972 and employed 35 people at first, increasing to 400 by 1988. From the racetrack to the road cars, Motorsport vehicle development eventually made its way, and the rest is history. On the E9 3.0 CSL Batmobile racing car, depicted above, the fabled M stripe colors were first used.
Since the 1970s, BMW’s renowned race vehicles have worn the three stripes, which have come to symbolize the M brand. The colors of the three M stripes—blue, purple, and red—were not picked at random; instead, they each have a special significance and a long history.
Through the use of the Bavarian blue displayed on its flag, the BLUE represents the city of Bavaria. After all, BMW does stand for “Bavarian Motor Werks,” and this recognizable shade of blue is also utilized in the BMW roundel.
The word “RED” stands for the company’s logo’s red color. During the early racing era, BMW collaborated with the Texaco oil corporation.
The two businesses joining together as partners in motorsport is symbolized by the color PURPLE. Purple is produced when blue and red are superimposed. This is a straightforward and stylish method to illustrate the collaboration of two brands.
Refer to the illustration below to better understand how these colors are depicted.
– 2020
The BMW Motorsport brand, subsequently known as BMW M, was established in 1972 for the racing vehicles of this business. Based on a silver-gray letter “M,” it was a combination of three diagonal stripes of blue, dark blue, and red, with the angles of the three colors matching the angles of the leftmost stroke. The designers employed a linear gradient for the design. Additionally, several elements received thin, darkening outlines.
Red, purple, and blue
While the original color scheme for the M badge was blue, purple, and red, it has now changed to blue, deeper blue, and red. Despite the fact that most drivers today perceive them as being related, the color scheme itself predates the official M brand for BMW vehicles. Actually, the “M” portion of the badging wasn’t added until 1978; prior to that, the cars’ colors were enough to identify them as the performance M edition.
The meaning of the BMW M colors
If you substitute dark blue for purple, BMW M’s own statement that “blue represents for BMW, red for motorsport, and violet for the unique blend of the two” still remains true today. The BMW M colors are derived in a clever yet straightforward way.
What are the 3 colors of BMW?
Alpine White, Potamaic Blue, Tanzanite Blue, Mineral Grey, Sunset Orange, Mediterranean Blue, Dravit Grey Metallic, and Black Sapphire are the 8 colors that the BMW 3 Series is available in.
Why are there 3 colors for BMW?
There has been considerable misunderstanding regarding the M Division’s colors’ historical roots for many years. Which is unexpected given that the BMW M’s three red, blue, and bluer-colored stripes are arguably the most well-known color combination in the whole automobile industry. Of course, there are rumors, but for many years the true history of the company’s well-known hues has been at best hazy. That is, up until now.
After losing to Ford repeatedly with its customer teams, BMW established the M Division in the 1970s. In essence, BMW took Jochan Neerpasch away from Ford’s factory racing team and hired him as the manager of BMW M, its own brand-new factory racing squad.
Neerpasch took Hans-Joachim Stuck, a rising star at Ford, with him when he left Ford to join BMW’s recently established M Division.
BMW needed sponsors when it was developing its now-iconic M Division, just like any other racing team. Therefore, before really launching a racing product onto the track, BMW did some research and came to the conclusion that it needed Texaco, which at the time was Ford’s sponsor, as its primary partner.
Therefore, the Bavarians created a logo and racing livery with three stripes, one of which was red, the color of Texaco’s insignia, in an effort to court Texaco.
Since it is a similar shade of blue to the Bavarian flag colors included in its own Roundel, a light blue stripe was placed opposite the red stripe to signify BMW. A purple tint, intended to resemble a blend of the two colors—a lovely transition between the colors, if you will—was sandwiched between the red and the light blue.
Then, in an effort to get Texaco as the M Division’s sponsor, this three-stripe livery was employed. The “red” was intended to serve as Texaco’s hook. But the agreement between BMW and Texaco collapsed before BMW had deployed a M Division product on the field. Although we don’t quite know why, we do know that the agreement fell through before it even got started.
BMW had nonetheless already created the logo and livery and really liked it. Therefore, BMW M made the decision to embrace it, giving rise to the enduring three-stripe “/M” badge.
The purple tint in the /M logo changed to a dark blue color over time, which was one of the most significant alterations.
When we previously covered the history of the M logo, we were unknowingly only roughly 90% accurate. There has been some additional uncertainty since then. As a result, we decided to get in touch with one of our sources at BMW Romania, Alex Seremet, who has hosted Jochen Neerpasch personally at various BMW events and has actually spoken to him about this same topic.
The real story is that BMW intended to work with Texaco; the contract went through, but BMW M still loved the logo and livery, so if you want to boring your buddies at the bar about where the colors for the BMW M emblem came from, you can tell them that. And don’t forget to mention that you heard it here.
What does the name M BMW mean?
The word “Motorsport” refers to the BMW M Series, which was initially developed to support BMW’s racing program. Over time, the BMW M program started to add customized vehicle models to its roster, which are now accessible to the general public.
How can I obtain colors from BMW Individual?
Your new BMW can be ordered through its Individual program in a wide range of stylish hues. Does the BMW M5 Competition’s normal seven-color palette not satisfy you? Make a call to Individual and choose one of the 90 hues it provides. Visit the “visualizer” page on the BMW Individual website to see all the colors. It has become your new go-to pass the time.
The visualizer is similar to BMW’s standard vehicle configurator, but with far more options. There are some excellent choices, such as the new M850i coupe, even though not every vehicle that BMW makes is offered here. View the Imola Red 8er down below. This was a widely-liked color for the E46 M3, and it suits the large coupe beautifully.
You might like an M4 Competition Package in Daytona Violet. This shade debuted on the E34 M5 and is offered for the E36 M3.
Last but not least, I wish BMW still offered a 5-Series wagon in the US after seeing this 540i Touring in British Racing Green.
I could spend the entire day thinking up new color combinations, as you can undoubtedly see, and if you’re not careful, so could you. When you have some free time, visit the BMW Individual visualizer.
What do BMW M stripes mean?
The blue represents BMW, the red represents motorsport, and the violet is a combination of the two, which is why it is sandwiched between the blue and red if you were to ask BMW right now what the meaning of the M stripe colors is.
What is the name of BMW blue?
The M-specific paint finish, BMW Individual Macao Blue metallic, has been a distinctive aspect of M automobiles’ design for more than three decades. The color made a significant comeback in 2016 with the BMW M3 30 Years edition after making its debut on the BMW M3 E30 in 1986.
The BMW logo is white and blue, but why?
White and blue, the colors of the German State of Bavaria, where BMW is based, are the first clue to the logo’s meaning. The BMW logo, complete with the four colored quadrants, is shown on a spinning airplane propeller in a 1929 BMW advertisement.
What color is most popular for BMW?
One of the most popular colors for BMW cars is blue, but there are many other shades of blue, like LeMans Blue, Interlagos Blue, and Mystic Blue, to mention a few. Despite the fact that they are all called blue, each color has its own unique tints and quirks that are unique to it.
What does m3 in a BMW mean?
One response: Chuang. BMW M GmbH, originally BMW Motorsport GmbH, is a division of BMW AG and a producer of supercars. The initial purpose of BMW M, which stands for “motorsport,” was to support BMW’s racing program, which was extremely successful in the 1960s and 1970s.