The Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE) car factory was founded in 1886 by Heinrich Ehrhardt in Eisenach (Germany). Initially bicycles and weapons were produced, but after two years the first car was there: a Wartburg (a licensed model from the French Decauville). AWE was the third factory in Germany to produce cars and one of Thuringia's largest employers.

Production of the Decauvilles ceased in 1903 and the Ehrhardt family withdrew from the management of the company. The factory continued under a different name: Dixi (Latin for "I have spoken"). The top model, the U35, was introduced in 1907 and quickly gained a good reputation for its reliability and performance.

During the First World War, trucks and weapons were produced. Passenger car production restarted in 1919, but due to the economically difficult time it was forced to merge with Gothaer Waggonfabrik AG. From then on, the company focused on the production of passenger cars. In 1927 the DA-1 3/15 was introduced, licensed by the British Austin 7.

After the purchase of AWE by BMW in 1928, production of Dixi's ceased. The Eisenach plant became the birthplace of BMW. By 1931, 25,000 cars had already been produced in series. From 1933 larger cars with six-cylinder engines were developed, the first was the BMW 303. Later followed the 315, 319, 327 and the BMW 328, an elegant sports coupé.

From 1942, because of the Second World War, the production of cars was stopped and the construction of motorcycles for the Wehrmacht and aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe began. At the end of the war, 60% of the factory was destroyed.

After the war, Thuringia was handed over to the Soviets by the US military. Production resumed with the BMW 321, of which approximately 4,000 were produced between 1945 and 1950. In 1949, the pre-war BMW 340 and 327 were reintroduced. In 1952, when the company was handed over to the East German government, it was agreed with BMW Stuttgart that the cars produced in Eisenach should be provided with the EMW (Eisenacher Motorenwerk) logo. When production of the EMW-BMW 327 stopped in 1955, 505 had been built in Eisenach.

The reunification of West and East Germany in 1990 marked the end for AWE, which could not compete with modern production methods. The factory closed its gates in April 1991.

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