If you search Google Germany for “Who is Hofmeister?”, the BMW engineer Wilhelm Hofmeister is listed in third place – after the definition of the historical office and a mention of the botanist of the same name. As a bodywork engineer, Hofmeister was responsible for ensuring that, in the early 1960s, the first BMW series production vehicle rolled off the production line featuring that characteristic kink in the C-pillar, now known as the Hofmeister kink. Since then, numerous models – coupés, sedans, touring and utility vehicles – have been produced with this design element. It is therefore no exaggeration to say that this distinctive stylistic element, conceived by Wilhelm Hofmeister, is now an icon of BMW and BMW M design. How did this come about? Here are the facts.
LET’S TALK ABOUT ... HOFMEISTER KINK.
LET’S TALK ABOUT ... HOFMEISTER KINK.
The kidney grille, the distinctive swage line in the side view, for many years the double-round headlamps, the L-shaped rear lights – there are several design features that are immediately associated with BMW. One of these is the ‘Hofmeister kink’. This refers to the tight curve – or kink – in the pillar of the rearmost side window, known as the C-pillar on sedans and otherwise as the D-pillar.
The Hofmeister kink fulfils at least two important design functions: on the one hand, it acts as a historical design link between the various BMW generations of the past, present and future. On the other hand, it helps create a visual transition from the ‘glasshouse’ — comprising the windows, roof and pillars — to the lower body of the car.
The strongest design icons are not created by a strategy.
But where does the name ‘Hofmeister kink’ come from? It goes back to Wilhelm Hofmeister, who was Director of Body Engineering and Development at BMW for many years. Incidentally, he was not a designer, but an engineer and division manager. And back then, the division manager for body development was, in effect, also the head of BMW Design. However, according to BMW design expert Carp, we must acknowledge that the distinctive kink was not invented by BMW, nor by Hofmeister. It had already appeared on vehicle bodies in the 1940s, on models from the USA and Italy. First on two-door coupés and even convertibles, and a little later on sedans as well.
As early as the mid-1950s, there were a few sketches of a kink in the C-pillar, followed by serious proposals from 1960 onwards. According to Carp, the influence of Italian designers – Giovanni Michelotti and Giorgio Giugiaro – ensured that the element became an integral feature in the design language of BMW – and, thanks to Hofmeister, remained there.
The prevailing view that the kink was ‘invented’ for reasons of bodywork stability does not apply to BMW, says Carp. There is therefore no technical necessity for it. One functional benefit is that the kink allows for a larger side window area in the door without having to incorporate an additional window before the C-pillar. From a design perspective, the curve creates greater tension in the lines and surfaces, resulting in a more dynamic side view. It makes a vehicle’s appearance more robust without adding bulkiness, Carp continues.
The Hofmeister kink made its debut at BMW on the new BMW 3200 CS and BMW 1500 models presented at the 1961 International Automotive Exhibition (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main. And when, just a few years after its foundation, M GmbH unveiled the first vehicle developed entirely in-house – the BMW M1 supercar – in 1978, it did feature the distinctive kink in the C-pillar as well.
Since then, the Hofmeister kink has become an indispensable part of the BMW design language. Hofmeister himself made it mainstream and consistently integrated it into the design of subsequent BMW models.
The Hofmeister kink marked the beginning of a new BMW design language.
EXCEPTIONS PROVE THE RULE.
EXCEPTIONS PROVE THE RULE.
Occasionally, designers have opted not to include this characteristic styling feature, for example on certain BMW Touring models or the BMW Z3 M Coupé. That said, the distinctive curve can be found in the roof pillar of every possible all bodywork type: sedans, Tourings, coupés, convertibles and SAVs. And so the Hofmeister kink has achieved cult status and is firmly associated with BMW vehicles.
What does the future hold for this distinctive feature? According to Carp, there are no limits to its development. After all, the Hofmeister kink is constantly evolving. A look at the BMW M Vision vehicles reveals a wide variety of interpretations of the Hofmeister kink. Sometimes the kink takes centre stage, whilst in other models it remains more in the background. In some cases, it has a more sculptural character, such as on the BMW Vision M NEXT, where it forms a part of the bodywork and is echoed by the lines on the powerful shoulder section. And so the crease invented by Wilhelm Hofmeister is sometimes more pronounced, sometimes less so; larger or smaller, rounder or more angular. But one thing remains constant: it is a fixed and distinctive element of the BMW design language.
