The rear-engine Porsche story dates all the back to the Second World War, the Corvette story started in 1953, and the Ford Mustang became an instant American icon from the moment it released the "1964 1/2" model year. To date, each of these vehicles has grown to represent a major role in the brand's identity and heritage.
In BMW's case, the automobile that really catapulted the brand to contemporary stardom was the E30 3-Series, which was introduced in 1982 as an '83 model. Drawing pop culture as a reference, the hit song when the Mustang came out was "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers. For the E30 3-Series, it was "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Sure, BMW was a late-bloomer when it came down to creating an icon, but what a hit it became!
To celebrate the new sixth-generation BMW 3-Series, BMW has created a video that documents every iteration of the 3-Series, starting from the very first E21, produced from 1975 to 1983. Although the recap is short, BMW has done a great job threading the heritage and evolution of the moniker. The video highlighted key moments in the 3-Series' history such as the introduction the M3 in 1989, the 3-Series' regular nominations into Car and Driver's "10 Best Cars" list, and the first xDrive all-wheel-drive available in the 3-series, before finally bringing the latest BMW F30 into the forefront. BMW promises that the latest 3-Series will be every bit as good and iconic as the vehicles that preceded it and will offer an even wider range of powertrains, blending performance and fuel economy to fulfill different needs.
See for yourself and check out BMW's 3-Series tribute video below:
