Automotive
BMW Color Codes
BMW's colors are the blue and white of its roundel, with a mid grey for flat layouts. The BMW color codes in Hex, RGB and CMYK can be found below, checked against BMW's own brand pages. The company started in Munich in 1916 building aircraft engines, and the roundel has carried Bavaria's colors since 1917. Its oldest rival is Mercedes-Benz.
Primary colors
What are BMW Primary Colors?
BMW's primary colors are blue #0166B1, white #FFFFFF, gray #6F6F6F.
BMW's blue is close to Pantone 7684 C; the CMYK shown is a conversion.
BMW Blue
| Hex | #0166B1 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 1, 102, 177 |
| HSL | hsl(206, 99%, 35%) |
| CMYK | 99%, 42%, 0%, 31%converted · approximate |
| Pantone | PMS 300 Cnearest match · not published by the brand |
BMW White
| Hex | #FFFFFF |
|---|---|
| RGB | 255, 255, 255 |
| HSL | hsl(0, 0%, 100%) |
| CMYK | 0%, 0%, 0%, 0%converted · approximate |
| Pantone | PMS 656 Cnearest match · not published by the brand |
BMW Gray
| Hex | #6F6F6F |
|---|---|
| RGB | 111, 111, 111 |
| HSL | hsl(0, 0%, 44%) |
| CMYK | 0%, 0%, 0%, 56%converted · approximate |
| Pantone | PMS 431 Cnearest match · not published by the brand |
BMW Hex Color Codes
BMW hex color codes are #0166B1 for blue, #FFFFFF for white and #6F6F6F for gray.
| Color | Hex |
|---|---|
| Blue | #0166B1 |
| White | #FFFFFF |
| Gray | #6F6F6F |
BMW RGB Color Codes
BMW RGB color codes are 1, 102, 177 for blue, 255, 255, 255 for white and 111, 111, 111 for gray. Reach for RGB when a tool wants channel numbers or a CSS alpha value.
| Color | RGB |
|---|---|
| Blue | rgb(1, 102, 177) |
| White | rgb(255, 255, 255) |
| Gray | rgb(111, 111, 111) |
BMW HSL Color Codes
BMW HSL color codes are 206, 99%, 35% for blue, 0, 0%, 100% for white and 0, 0%, 44% for gray. Change the third value for a lighter or darker version without moving the hue.
| Color | HSL |
|---|---|
| Blue | hsl(206, 99%, 35%) |
| White | hsl(0, 0%, 100%) |
| Gray | hsl(0, 0%, 44%) |
BMW CMYK Color Code
BMW CMYK color codes are conversions from the hex, because the brand publishes none. Check a printed proof before a full run.
| Color | CMYK |
|---|---|
| Blue | 99%, 42%, 0%, 31% |
| White | 0%, 0%, 0%, 0% |
| Gray | 0%, 0%, 0%, 56% |
BMW Pantone Color Codes
BMW Pantone color codes are nearest matches by color distance, not brand specs. The table shows the closest swatch for every color.
| Color | Nearest Pantone |
|---|---|
| Blue | PMS 300 C |
| White | PMS 656 C |
| Gray | PMS 431 C |
Logo
BMW Logo Colors
BMW logo colors are blue, white and a thin dark ring, with grey standing in for the wordmark where color is dropped.
BMW Logo Colors Palette
What the BMW Logo Colors Mean?
The BMW logo colors signify Bavaria. Blue and white are the colors of the Free State of Bavaria, where the company is based. They sit in reverse order on the badge because a 1917 trademark rule blocked firms from lifting a regional coat of arms directly, so the colors were swapped. The propeller story came later, from a 1929 advert that set the badge on a spinning prop to play up BMW's aircraft-engine past, and nobody at the company bothered to correct it.
BMW Logo Color History
BMW logo color history goes back to 1917, when the roundel was registered, and the shape has held ever since. The 2020 version swapped the solid black ring for a transparent one so the badge could sit on a colored background on screen. The blue has drifted slightly across the decades without leaving the Bavarian palette.
BMW Logo Fonts
BMW logo fonts are handled in-house. The brand uses BMW Type, a face built on Helvetica and kept private. If you need a substitute, plain Helvetica or Helvetica Now covers it.
BMW Logo JPG
BMW logo in JPG. No transparency, so it is flattened onto white. Safe for documents and slide decks.
BMW Logo PNG
BMW logo in PNG, with a transparent background. Use it over a colored surface.
BMW Logo WebP
BMW logo in WebP. Same transparency as the PNG at about a third of the file size.
BMW Color Code Shades
BMW color code shades step evenly from the primary toward black, for hover states, borders and shadows.
These are interface steps, not BMW paint or trim names.
In code
Using the BMW palette
CSS custom properties
:root {
--bmw-blue: #0166B1;
--bmw-white: #FFFFFF;
--bmw-gray: #6F6F6F;
}Contrast against white
| Blue | 5.94:1AA ✓ |
|---|---|
| White | 1.00:1AA × |
| Gray | 5.02:1AA ✓ |
Brand colors are chosen for recognition, not for legibility. A failing value here is normal. It means use it as a fill, not as text.