BMW 3-Series 50 Years

BMW 3-Series 50 Years offers a detailed history of this legendary model. Author Tony Lewin charts the 3-series’ design and technical evolution from the 1970s to today.

Trace the 50-year success story of BMW’s 3-series in this luxuriously produced and stunningly illustrated volume.

From its launch in 1975 with the 316, the 3-series has moved from strength to strength, defining what it means to be a performance sedan/coupe/wagon. Beloved by enthusiasts worldwide, it is the series benchmarked by all other manufacturers. Whether daily driven, tracked, or raced, BMW’s 3-series delivers the goods.

BMW 3-Series 50 Years charts the 3-series’ design and technical evolution from the 1970s to today, from the clean, classic two-box design of the E21 and E30 to the handsome E46 to today’s sophisticated G20. The book features:

• A detailed history of the BMW 3-series by automotive historian and industry analyst Tony Lewin 
• First-person interviews with key designers and engineers
• Photography from BMW’s archive as well as commissioned, contemporary photography
• Sidebars diving into interesting stories covering design, related models like the Z cars, and the collector perspective

The 3-series is a performance and competition story, as well, with no car more storied, or critical to BMW’s reputation, than its vaunted M3. Racing and M3s play out across the book’s chapters, providing a performance perspective across the 3-series’ 50 years. 

With decades of showroom, performance, and competition success, BMW’s 3-series, in all its permutations, shows no signs of slowing down. BMW 3-Series 50 Years details the full story in a lively volume deserving space in every enthusiast’s collection.