Is it Bimmer or Beemer? | The Every day Drive


What you name your BMW issues.

2023 BMW XM hood badge, Is it Bimmer or Beemer?
2023 BMW XM hood badge

My buddy Dave and I had a high-school acquaintance who was keen on recounting her weekend exploits throughout our shared lunch hour. We’ll name her Misty. Misty’s exploits have been largely restricted to working on the deli counter of an area grocery retailer, and/or visiting her sister in Calumet Metropolis. Calumet Metropolis is on the lake, and never all that far south of Chicago—and perhaps a 60-minute drive from our suburban village. Oh, and Misty’s sister owned a BMW—that is essential to my story.

Is it Bimmer of Beemer?

It’s Bimmer, proper?

Now, none of that is actually noteworthy, and the weekend recaps have been—at finest—repetitive—however there was one component of Misty’s storytelling that, over time, grew to become grating. First, she lovingly referred to Calumet Metropolis as “Cal Metropolis,” and she or he all the time referred to her sister’s automobile as a “Beemer.”

Cal Metropolis

Now, a lot of folks name Calumet Metropolis Cal Metropolis—although the implied familiarity appeared to recommend that this one-time bootlegger haven was now a weekend haven little shy of Monte Carlo or Las Vegas by way of its magnificence, majesty, and premium facilities. Although Dave and I have been unacquainted with the charms of Calumet Metropolis, we have been fairly positive the city was being oversold to us. No matter.

However the Beemer factor…

Who says Beemer?

2025 BMW R 1300 RT, Beemer
OK, these of us can name their automobile a Beemer.

Now, Dave and I have been critical automobile nuts, and skim each article in each situation of each automobile journal each month, and we have been fairly sure that the suitable nickname for a BMW was Bimmer. Individuals, a minimum of guys, who referred to BMWs as Beemers have been, weirdo car-guy fakers simply trying to be mocked. However Misty was a lady, and…how may we show we have been proper? Life earlier than the Web was difficult.

Bikes?

Little did Dave and I do know concerning the duplicitous nature of BMW and its loyal fanbase.

And whereas BMW house owners overwhelming referred to their vehicles as Bimmers, we had no thought {that a} sperate and distinct tradition of bike house owners referred to their machines as Beemers. Actually, who knew?

Per BMW…

Per BMW, the precise firm, comes this:

“Strictly talking, it’s incorrect to speak a couple of “beamer automobile” (or “beemer automobile”). The proper time period for a BMW car is “bimmer” – “beemer” and “beamer” truly solely consult with a BMW bike.”

We’ll ignore the choice spelling choices prompt above, and simply reaffirm: A BMW automobile is a Bimmer, a BMW bike is a Beemer.

Sorry, Misty

As for Misty, we’ll forgive the lapse in car-culture consciousness. Seemingly she was nonetheless in a daze following one other wonder-filled weekend in Cal Metropolis.

1986 BMW 635CSi, Bimmer,
1986 BMW 635CSi

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Bimmer and Beemer Photos

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Photograph Function: 1967 BMW 2000C Hardtop Coupe

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