Wilhelm Hofmeister (Designer)

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Wilhelm Hofmeister (born May 19, 1912 in Stadthagen ; † January 11, 1978 ) was a German automobile designer and chief designer at BMW from 1955 to 1970 .

One of the first projects under his direction was the Neue Klasse , a mid-range model that was supposed to save the then ailing manufacturer. With this model, Hofmeister created the basic features of the design that is still common today and the Hofmeister kink as a distinctive feature in the C-pillar of almost all BMW models built since then. His successor at BMW was Paul Bracq , who continued Hofmeister's design line almost seamlessly.

Some BMW models at that time were not designed by Hofmeister himself, but by external designers. The BMW 503 and BMW 507 come from Albrecht Graf von Goertz and the BMW 3200 CS from Giuseppe Bertone .

Developed vehicles

Web links

  • The Hofmeister kink. In: BMW Design. BMW AG, archived from the original on October 17, 2014 ; retrieved on November 28, 2014 : "The Hofmeister kink describes the counter-curve of the window graphic at the foot of the rear roof pillar."
  • Wilhelm Hofmeister. In: BMW history. BMW AG, accessed on November 24, 2016 (dossier on Wilhelm Hofmeister in the BMW Group Archive).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.7-forum.com/news/news2004/75jahre_bmw/bmw_geschichte_design.php
  2. ↑ BMW's "Big 7 Series" fully accepted; BMW makes its debut with marine engines; Wilhelm Hofmeister died; BMW special service during the World Ski Championships. In: BMW history. BMW AG, January 19, 1978, accessed on November 24, 2016 ( press release ): “Hofmeister was part of BMW AG for 34 years and shaped the shape and styling of Munich automobiles in the post-war years, which provided the decisive impetus for the company's rapid growth . "
  3. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated November 22, 2012 on WebCite ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bmwism.com
  4. ^ Design drawing, preliminary study BMW 700, sedan, exterior, designer Hofmeister / Bertram, 1958. In: BMW history. BMW AG, September 12, 1958, accessed on November 24, 2016 (drawing in the BMW Group Archive): "Inscribed 'draft Hofmeister'"
personal data
SURNAME Hofmeister, Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German automobile designer
DATE OF BIRTH May 19, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Stadthagen
DATE OF DEATH January 11, 1978