What Does The Three-Color Badge On BMW M Models Stand For?

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In its century-old history as an automotive manufacturer, BMW has produced a ton of remarkable vehicles, including its BMW M models. There's a lot to love about the M series, like its special engines with real power that escapes those who only drive them on the road. Known for having some pretty fast cars, several BMW M series vehicles go beyond the 190 mph mark, like the M3 GTS, M4 GTS, M4 DTM Champion Edition, and M5 CS. Because of this, many fans of the series may feel their heart skip a beat when they come across the tri-colored badge.

According to the BMW M website, early versions of the BMW M GmBH logo (then known as BMW M Motorsport) in 1972 looked a little different from the one we know today. Although, it does retain some elements. Designed by graphic design firm Müller, which was founded by the father of Swiss graphic design, the initial badge was a combination of the BMW logo surrounded by blue, red, and purple semicircles, which was very much in line with the precise, geometric style of the time.

While the carmaker eventually dropped the semicircles, it did decide to retain its color palette. Gracing the BMW M1, which is perhaps another reason why the M1 is much cooler than we remember, BMW shares that the three stripes were first used on their vehicles in 1978. So, you may be wondering, what do the three colors on the BMW M models stand for?

Unfortunately, the German automaker shares that the reason behind these colors has actually been lost to time. That said, there are a few rumors floating around. For example, BMW historian Marc Thiesbürger said, "Blue stands for BMW, the red was probably inspired by the Texaco company and violet was chosen pragmatically as a mixed colour of blue and red." 

If you're wondering why Texaco is important enough to be considered part of the logo, it's because the oil company was said to be in negotiations for a sponsorship deal during its development. On its website, BMW M even shared early designs of cars bearing these colors alongside the American brand's logo. However, this idea was also said to be contested by the group's other designers. While no documentation has confirmed existing theories, BMW has already made a decision on what the colors stand for today: "Blue stands for the BMW brand, red for motorsport and purple for this unique connection."

Moving away from the Swiss style semicircles of its past, the three stripes version of the logo, alongside the "M" was made by Italian studio Italdesign years later. Under the helm of Giorgio Giugiaro, whose team designed the BMW M1, BMW mentioned that the slanted appearance of the stripes were meant to symbolize "dynamism and speed."

Considering it has been around for decades, there's no doubt that the three-colored badge has changed to match the times. Since its inception, the colors have also shifted to fit more modern sensibilities, especially for its communications branding. Apart from slowly losing the "purple" to a shade closer to blue, it now also appears more flat than before. But while the logo has evolved, many fans of the M series can still spot it from a mile away. In fact, many of the M models proudly display the logo on places like their tailgates and kidney grills. In some cases, they also appear with outlines to direct more attention.

If you're a fan of the series and want the beloved badge to appear in more places, BMW does sell its three-colored badges separately on Amazon. For example, a Trunk Lid Emblem will set you back about $63, but for something a little bit cheaper, you can get a set of four 3D stickers of the badge, which has an average rating of 4.6 stars from more than 180 people, for $54.99. In many ways, badges symbolize not just our love for certain vehicles, but also what they stand for. Apart from BMW M models, several other manufacturers have used the three stripe emblem style as an ode to their heritage, like the Chevy Camaro's red, white, and blue love letter to its American roots.