Which colors appear in the central quartered shield of the BMW emblem?

The central quartered shield of the BMW emblem uses blue and white.

BMW adopted its familiar roundel in 1917, when the company was still associated with aircraft-engine manufacturing in Bavaria. The design places four alternating blue and white sections inside a black ring bearing the letters “BMW.” The colors are Bavaria’s traditional state colors, although the Bavarian flag normally displays them in a lozenge pattern.

A common misconception says the emblem directly depicts a spinning aircraft propeller. That interpretation became popular through a 1929 BMW advertisement showing a propeller-like image, but the emblem’s colors primarily refer to Bavaria. BMW later became known mainly for automobiles and motorcycles, while the roundel remained one of the world’s most recognizable automotive badges.

The blue-and-white design has appeared in several detailed versions over time, but those two colors remain its defining central feature.