Why did Bob Marley prefer the automobile brand BMW?

A few days ago the film ““Bob Marley, the legend” . The film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richards) is featured Ben Kingsley-Adir a British actor who failed to charm specialists with his work, in fact, he received heavy criticism just like the film itself.

But we will leave the quality of the film inspired by the reggae emblem to other sections. Here, what caught our attention when we went to see her was the BMW in which she was traveling through her native Jamaica before leaving for London due to an attack she received that almost left her cost lives.

Seeing Bob Marley in a model of the German brand, considering that it is a luxury brand, could contrast with what promotes Rastafarianism to which the singer belonged. However, legend has it that there is a much stranger story behind the choice of car.

According to those who know Bob Marley’s life, the artist grew up in a family with very few resources. He was never a money person, although it was not a goal in his life, because it was to make his music and the message of love and unity known, something very conditioned by what was experienced in the turbulent Jamaica of the 1970s.

This is why cars were not an important part of his life, which can be learned from one of his most recognizable singles, “No woman no cry”, where he talks about those days when he didn’t have much money: “My feet are my only carriage, so I must continue”, he sang in this true reggae anthem.

Regardless, Marley knew the importance of being able to move independently to get from one place to another. This is where BMW comes in.

As Marley himself commented in an interview published in volume 15 of Road & Track, when asked why he drives a model from the Bavarian house, he replied: “I have a BMW. But only because he represents Bob Marley and the Wailers, not because he needs an expensive car. » The explanation belonged to B for Bob; M for Marley and W for Wailers, the name of the band and it was almost as if it was a brand designed for him and his musicians.

The first BMW Bob Marley owned was a red 1602. In the magazine column it is pointed out that this car, which was originally called 1600-2 for its 1600 cc engine and two doors, despite its striking character in the 60s in the town of Trench Town, a dangerous area of ​​Kingston, was I never stole it even though I left it with the windows down. Everyone knew it belonged to Marley.

Then came the move to his most recognized vehicle and the one we see a lot in the film. It was a BMW E2500, better known as the Bavaria. This model was the predecessor of the Series 5.

News reports indicate he bought it from another reggae singer in Jamaica. It was the one that had the most time and was chosen because it has four doors. At that time, he already needed more space, given that he had several children (he had 11).

The BMW Bavaria was powered by a 2.5-liter straight-six engine producing 150 hp. It was designed by Baron Alexander von Falkenhausen and built between 1968 and 1977.

But there wasn’t just BMW in the singer’s life. In some images you can see him driving a yellow Combi. He also owned a 1977 Land Rover Series III.

This SUV was in Marley’s house museum in Jamaica, but when the British brand turned 70, it was purchased from the family and restored, as can be seen in the following video: