Franz Josef Popp-Founder- BMW AG

Franz Josef Popp

Franz Josef Popp (January 14, 1886 in Vienna, July 29, 1954 in Stuttgart) is one of three men who founded the company BMW AG and BMW AG's first Managing Director from 1922 to 1942.
Several other names were included in the "inventor" of BMW AG. Without the presence of Karl Rapp, Gustav Otto, Max Friz or Camillo Castiglioni, this company probably would never have formed. However, Franz Josef Popp can claim him because he is developing a company that we know today. He is the "Director" of the company since its formation until he was forced to resign from office in 1942.



Early years

Popp was born in Vienna in 1886 and in 1901 his family moved to Brno where he completed his university entrance qualification at a local grammar school. He went on to study electrical engineering at the Technical College and local and qualified with a degree in engineering in 1909.


When he returned to Vienna, Franz Josef Popp joined the Viennese company AEG-Union as an electrical engineer. He soon became head of the department for "Electric Railway and Locomotive", and one of its responsibilities is to develop electric locomotives for the Mittenwald railway. At the beginning of World War I, Popp joined the Kaiserliche und Konigliche Luftfahrtruppen or "Kuk Luftfahrtruppen" (Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Air Army) as a marine engineer at the base of Pula on the Adriatic Sea (in modern Croatia). This is where he has spent his military service as a volunteer for one-year course of study.


However, three weeks later he was ordered back to Vienna to supervise construction for the production of aircraft engines, initially at AEG and then in the Austro-Daimler works in 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 prototype production 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 Motorenwerke Rapp (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.


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 authorities responsible 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 Motorenwerke Rapp (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 were colleagues together at Austro-Daimler). Popp understood that Rapp Motorenwerke is required of a chief engineer with new ideas to make aircraft engines.

"Director General"


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 from Rapp Motorenwerke be 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 from aircraft engine production to peacetime production. With this goal in mind, he worked to create a link with Knorr Bremse AG, and from 1919 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 Flugzeugwerke AG", 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 from Knorr Bremse AG and started the construction of the machine once again.