Franz Josef Popp was the founder of BMW. He was born in 1886 in Vienna and studied electrical and mechanical engineering. After working for various companies, he was sent in 1916 to oversee aircraft engine production at Rapp Motor Works. He helped develop the successful BMW IIIa engine. In 1917, he was appointed managing director and renamed the company Bayerische Motoren Werke. As the company's first general director, he helped transition BMW to peacetime production and established its focus on engines and later automobiles. Popp played a key founding role in BMW but was later arrested during WWII and passed away in 1954.

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Biography of Franz Josef Popp The Founder of
Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW)
(Build Your Own Dreams, or Someone Else Will Hire To Build Thiers)
Early Life
Franz Josef Popp Founder of
Bayerishemotoren WerkeAG (BMW)
was born in Vienna on 14th January
, 1886. His family migrated to Brno
when he was still a young boy. He
started his study there and he
finished his entrance qualification
exam for university fromthe local
grammar school. After qualifying for
the university he got admission in
the local Technical Collage. He
studied there in the field of
electrical and mechanical
engineering. He got the degree of
engineering in 1909. This all was his
study carrier. After completing his
studies he quickly entered into
professional field
Professional Career
After completing his studies he returned back to Vienna. He joined an electric
company there as an electrical engineer. That was a Viennese company named
AEG-Union. His attachment to the work very soon earned hima higher rank in the
company, reaching as the head of the department for “Electrical Trains and
Locomotives”. There his work wasvery difficult. He was given responsibilities for
establishing electric engines for the Mittenwald railway.

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World War I
During First World War he was a part of marine military in Austro-Hungarian Imperial
and Royal Aviation Troops. He was appointed at the Pula base on the Adriatic Sea,
today it is the part of Croatia, as a marine engineer. He had given his one year of life
in serving military as a volunteer. But during World War I he came back to Vienna
after serving mariners for threeweeks. He came back and joined the same
company for the construction of aircraft construction.
However, three weekslater he was ordered back to Vienna to supervise
construction for the production of aircraft engines, initially at AEG and then in the
Austro-Daimler worksin Wiener Neustadt. In this capacity, Popp traveled to Germany
several times to visit the largest aircraft engine manufacturer in the Reich-Daimler,
NAG and Benz. The aim is to explore opportunities for prototypeproduction under
license in Austria-Germany Daimler works. Unfortunately, exploratory talks came to
nothing. Austro-Daimler works continue to develop their own new 12-cylinder
engines for the Navy Austria, although there is no sufficient capacity available for
production of these machines. It was necessary to find a production facility that is in
a position to manufacture the machines in the amount needed by the military. While
he was serving in Pola, Popp had to know MotorenwerkeRapp (Rapp Engine Works)
in Munich. This company has the necessary skilled manpower and production
facilities to manufacture aircraft engines, but do not have a competitive product
since the engine does not work as aircraft engines.

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Starting of BMW
Given this scenario, Popp regarded Rapp Engine works as an ideal production
facility for the manufacture of 12-cylinder Austro-Daimler engine. He lobbied for this
solution and managed to convince the authoritiesresponsible for taking his advice.
In 1916, he was sent to Munich as a representative of the Austrian Navy to oversee
the production under license in MotorenwerkeRapp (Rapp Motor Works). However,
Popp worry about unsatisfactory decisions and targets set by the technical and
commercial manager. He became concerned that the volume specified in the
contract will not be met. To ensure compliance with production targets, Popp
effectively began to take the role of factory manager. Popp ensure that Max Friz, a
highly talented young engineers at Daimler have just applied for a position, was
hired by the Rapp (Friz and Rapp werecolleagues together at Austro-Daimler). Popp
understood that Rapp Motorenwerke is required of a chief engineer with new ideas
to make aircraft engines.
He developed his interest in it. He selected the engineer for that company. And
company launched an aerometer with the name BMW IIIa which became very
successful. He entered in that company as it’s general director in 1917 and renamed
the company BayerschemortorenWerke.
He was not the sole founder of that company. But his contribution in its foundation
made him as a prominent founder member of that company.

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It is pronounced as Bavarian Motor Works. It is a multinational company of Germany.
It produces cars, motorcycles and motor engines.
Rolls-Royce Motor Car is also the product of BMW Company. BMW’s automobiles are
supposed to be the luxurious cars in the world.
Appointing as General Director
After the success of the BMW IIIa aeromotor, Karl Rapp was decided that the
contract was terminated by the managing board of Rapp Motorenwerke.Franz
Josef Popp was appointed as managing director of the company, while at the
same time, the company name was changed fromRapp Motorenwerkebe
Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. This is meant to signify a new beginning with the
outside world.
After conversion into joint-stock company, he was head of Bayerische Motoren
Werke as Chairman of the Management Board and the Director General of the title.
At the end of the First World War, Popp was responsible for turning young companies
fromaircraft engine production to peacetime production. With this goal in mind, he
worked to create a link with Knorr Bremse AG, and from1919 onwards, the factory
started manufacturing Knorr brakes for Railway Bavaria. In 1922, Popp is responsible
for transferring the most important patents, machinery and personnel to
manufacture the machine "with the umbrella Bayerische FlugzeugwerkeAG",
together with the name of the company "Bayerische Motoren Werke AG". He was
assisted in this effort by the Austrian financier Camillo Castiglioni. In this way he was
able to free himself fromKnorr Bremse AG and started the construction of the
machine once again.
Later Years Working as a General Director
After working as the General Director of the BMW company his life continued to pass
on the that designation. But at the time of World War II, he suffered a lot. He was also
arrested during that war. That incident separated him fromthe company. After his

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return fromthe jail he tried again to be a part of Board of Directors of the same
company. But his every effort wasted and he didn’t become its part again. And he
died at the age of 68 years on 29th July 1954 in Stuttgart.
And today BMW is one of the most famous company in the world