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Bimmer/beemer Tomato/tomahto....

To: britcars@northbeach.Corp.Sun.COM
Subject: Bimmer/beemer Tomato/tomahto....
From: Volney.Spalding@Corp.Sun.COM (Volney Spalding)
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 94 15:19:34 PST
Various folks have suggested:

        >> The first time I heard bimmer/beemer whatever was here in the states.

>The term bimmer seems to have started about the time BMWs became yuppie
>cars.  I don't recall hearing it in the '60s.  As to it being an
>American thing, could be, but I've always assumed its origin was from
>the way BMW is pronounced in German.

As long as we're all part of the BMW extended family, we may as well
get some of the geneology straight:

Beemer is the yuppie induced epithet.

Bimmer refers to cars with round tail lights (pre '75 2002's, 1600's, 
1800's, etc) which pre-dates the  '80's phenomenon of people buying BMW's
as fashion accessories (basically the 3 series cars). 


        John R. Lupien sez: 

        >Ah, well, the BMW cars are Bimmers, but the bikes are Beemers. Note the
        >spelling.

My friend who races old BMW bikes used to call them Bimmers as well...

Vol


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