Steps for Installing Your New BMW Roundel Emblem
All of the removing and installing is done from the exterior of the car. The emblem is held in place with rubber grommets pressed into the body panel and two posts on the back of the emblem that are inserted into the grommets. Follow these instructions for the safest and best BMW badge installation. Remember to work slowly and don't pry on the plastic emblem too aggressively. These directions were done using the roundel on the hood. Other body panels may need slightly different removal steps.
 |
| Tools Required |
 |
| Step 1 Lay cloth over paint as close to the emblem as possible. |
 |
| Step 2 Place the screwdriver over the cloth and under the edge of the emblem. Lift up very smoothly and slowly. Start with the 10 o'clock position then switch over to the 2 o'clock position. Work slowly. If you pry too much in one corner it can crack the emblem. The small screwdriver works great to get the emblem loose. |
 |
| Step 3 If you were lucky enough for the emblem to pop free on the first try then move on to the next few steps. If your emblem is being a little stubborn continue with the paint scraper. Slowly slide the paint scraper or screwdriver under the emblem while also slowly prying the emblem upward. At this point you should be able to work from the bottom of the emblem as well. Pull the emblem slowly up and away from hood. |
 |
| Step 4 Also remove the rubber grommets in the hood. Use the new ones we supply as it will make installation much easier. If they don't pop right out take some needle-nose pliers and pull straight up. |
 |
| Step 5 Press in your new grommets. They will bottom-out in the panel. Line up your new BMW roundel and press firmly into the grommets until the edges are fresh against the panel. Don't hit the emblem. The new grommets should be pliable enough for the emblem to just press in. |
About the BMW Roundel Emblem
Contrary to popular myth, the term 'roundel' does not mean a spinning propeller and is not unique to BMW. A roundel is any round emblem used as a logo or identifying mark. The French first used it on their military aircraft in World War I and other nations followed suit. Nowadays a roundel can be any circular corporate logo such as Target Stores, the London Underground subway system, Pinterest, or even the Boston Red Sox logo. We, of course, associate the roundel with BMW.
The BMW emblem was first trademarked in 1917. The blue and white colors come from the official colors of Bavaria, where BMW was founded, but with the layout reversed so as not to violate policy on using national symbols in commercial trademarks. The black ring likely came from the emblem for Rapp Motor Works, the forerunner of Bavarian Motor Works, which also used a black ring and a black horse in its own roundel design. The letters "B M W" have always appeared at the top of the outer ring.
The whirling propeller legend probably came from BMW documents and advertising when the company built aircraft engines before World War II. In 1928 they acquired the rights to build Pratt & Whitney radial aircraft engines. They incorporated the corporate emblem into the spinning propellers of an airplane for promotional materials and thus the legend began. Also in 1928, BMW began automobile production by producing the English Austin Seven under license. The logo continued after the War and was standardized in the now familiar layout and colors in the mid-1960s. In 1997 the logo took on a 3D effect that continues today. In the early 1970s the then-new BMW Motorsport division created their own Motorsport roundel prior to the introduction of the "///M" logo on the 1978 M1 supercar. The Motorsport roundel was used mainly on trim pieces like the steering wheel center and wheel caps, and the usual blue and white corporate logo was used for the hood and trunk.