Fifty years of the BMW 3 Series – sports sedan icon’s family gathering featuring E21, E30, E36, E46, E90, F30

Feeling old and tired? Worn down by the many years of hustling and/or providing? Here’s some inspiration for all of us – despite looking fantastic, they’re probably double the age their age when we first saw them – Brad Pitt is 61 years old, Jennifer Aniston 56, Cantopop ‘heavenly king’ Aaron Kwok is 59 and the BMW 3 Series turns 50 this year.

Now, I’ve not met the former three, but this writer is lucky to have known a few generations of the BMW 3 Series and for me, the iconic sports sedan is faring even better than those silver screen examples – just look at it. We may be celebrating the 3 Series’ 50 Jahre this year, but this recipe is evergreen, and in today’s EV-dominated scene, refreshing even.

It all started half a century ago when Munich needed to replace the BMW 02. In July 1975, BMW rolled out the first 3 Series, a two-door sedan with a compact footprint and a sporty character. The E21 was powered by four-cylinder engines (1,573, 1,766 and 1,990 cc) with 316, 318, 320 and 320i model designations – ‘i’ stood for fuel-injection in a day when carburettor engines were the norm. Two years later, the segment’s first six-cylinder engine (320 and 323i) was introduced with all-round disc brakes.

A sporty drive was delivered by the E21’s McPherson front axle and independent wheel suspension on trailing arms and spring struts at the rear. The car’s cockpit was inclined towards the driver, and this feature has remained a BMW trademark till today.

You’ll spot an E21 on a lucky day (I’m lucky everyday!), but the next-gen E30 is a slightly more common sight. Still super compact by today’s standards, the E30 introduced a four-door sedan bodystyle (1983), a convertible and the first M3 (both 1985), plus a wagon in 1987. In addition, the first diesel (324d) and the first four-wheel drive (325iX) models were rolled out. The range expansion was very successful – more than 2.3 million units were sold from 1982 to 1990.

The next chapter was a big leap in sophistication and size. The E36 was launched as a four-door sedan in 1990, with a coupe following in 1992 before a convertible and the second BMW M3. New six-pot engines came with two camshafts and four valves per combustion chamber, and VANOS made its debut in the E36. Also new to the nameplate was the 3 Series Compact of 1994, a stubby-tailed hatch based on the E30.

The E46 (1998-2005) was an evolution of the E36, introducing more comfort and refinement to the familiar package, with some curves thrown in for good measure,

Innovations that surfaced in the fourth-generation include double VANOS for a beefier torque curve and reduced emissions, common rail injection on the 330d diesel and the throttle-free load control system Valvetronic. Also new was an xDrive system that operated without conventional locking, the task being assumed by automatic, wheel-selective brake intervention instead.

The E46 M3 is one of the performance car all-time greats, and there was also the M3 CSL, a lightweight edition (110 kg less) that started the carbon fibre roof trend for M cars.

We now come to the fifth-generation E90, the Chris Bangle design era car that brought the Series back to its sportier roots. Efficiency was all the rage back in the noughties, and BMW launched its Efficient Dynamics strategy for better fuel economy and low emission levels in the E90’s era. High Precision Injection was combined with TwinPower Turbo and Valvetronic in the 335i. Brake energy regeneration and auto start stop were also introduced.

If it sounds all nice and clean, this generation’s M3 was anything but, taking the engine to 4.0 litres and a V8. The E92’s NA V8 ‘feels so motorsports’ and was such a treat, a treat that we’ll never get again. They will be faster, they might be more capable, but they’ll never have a motor like this.

We don’t have to rewind so far back for the F30, which is still rather fresh in the memory, having debut in 2011 – in fact, some might be shocked to realise that the sixth-generation 3er is nearly 15 years old now! Rivals upped their game in this period (the C-Class had shed its uncle image with the W205 and I really liked the B9 Audi A4) and to defend its turf and cover all bases, Munich introduced an unprecedented number of variants to fill every niche.

Sedan and Touring aside, we had the now-forgotten 3 Series Gran Turismo for those who wanted something between saloon and estate. In the F30’s time, Coupe and Convertible models were spun off to create the 4 Series, which also had the four-door Gran Coupe.

Initially hated by purists, downsized four-cylinder turbo engines became the norm in this generation, and we also saw the introduction of plug-in hybrids with the 330e.

Today’s seventh-generation 3 Series made its debut in 2018 and was launched in Malaysia the following year. BMW Malaysia expanded the range to include a long wheelbase Li version in 2021 and the G20 LCI facelift appeared in 2023. We were back at the same location this week for the unveiling of the M340i xDrive Edition 50 Jahre to mark the icon’s 50th birthday. A special LE for Malaysia, it’s limited to 50 units and priced at RM396,800 on-the-road before insurance and BSRI – details here.

Fifty years on and the BMW 3 Series’ perfect execution of dynamics and comfort in a compact body is yet to bettered. If life begins at forty as they say, then the sports sedan king is just about getting started.

Feast your eyes on these pristine examples of the 3 Series, from the E21 to the F30, sourced by BMW Malaysia for the 50 Jahre event. And since you’re already strolling down Lorong Nostalgia, check out a similar gathering of BMW Group Classic examples that I captured in Austria a decade ago. Tell us, which is your favourite 3 Series and what’s the dream look, spec and wheels? Don’t worry, you’re among nerds.

GALLERY: E21 BMW 323i

GALLERY: E30 BMW 325i

GALLERY: E36 BMW 328i

GALLERY: E46 BMW 330i

GALLERY: E90 BMW 323i

GALLERY: F30 BMW 335i

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