EMW also entered Formula One as a constructor in 1953, but participated in only one race, the 1953 German Grand Prix.

The factory continued producing cars and motorcycles under the BMW brand, but after a lawsuit in 1952 they had to change the name to EMW instead.

The Kasernierte Volkspolizei (a paramilitary police branch which preceded the National People's Army) and the succeeding East German armed forces needed vehicles and expressed interest in reviving production of the BMW 325, an unsuccessful wartime off-road Einheits-PKW (standardized military light utility vehicle) built by BMW in Eisenach.

[3] Later the automobile section of EMW became VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach and built the Wartburg.

Motorcycle manufacture ended in the 1950s and was replaced by the AWO 425 built by Simson at Suhl.