Check out Steve Saxty's BMW design books - www.stevesaxty.com Errata: The Russians were allied with the Allies. That could have been clearer. Also, the 2002ti didn't have fuel injection.
I got the book set this week, and they are a must have for everyone deeply interested in the brand. The way they describe the thoughts and processes in their design team is just amazing and really makes you feel like you re-visit the moments of creation yourself. Worth every penny!
You're still playing word salad. The Russians WERE the Allieds. If it wasn't for the bravery and sacrifice of the Russian army and its people, you'd be speaking Deutsche and saluting Hitler at the start of your videos.
@@ghost21501 yeah,very strange choice to separate out one of the allies from the others, but i think england is suffering from government empowered RDS at the moment
There's something so endearing about BMW giving Citroen the permission to use the C1 name that they'd previously used on their obscure scooter-car hybrid concept, and Citroen later returning the favour when BMW was looking for a name for their new super-SUV
Fantastic history videos as always, to coincide with your video, I just wanted to say that the designer Marcello Gandini (1938-2024) passed away at 85 yesterday. He designed the E12 generation 5 series. "Can form and function be separated, I believe you cannot" He asserted. I loved the M1 and the E36 and E46 wagon, and M3. Black coupe.
BMW didn't just start with motorcycles, they're nowadays the only remaining company producing powerful motorcycles in Germany and play an important role in the German/EU motorbike market. (Not really worldwide, seems like Asia is dominated by Honda ...) But "The BMW motorbike story" is probably something for another channel because this one is primarily dealing with 4-wheelers.
BMW and Mercedes in South Africa had and have a long running spat😂😂😂 so much so that Nandoes ran a series of adverts that took a few pot shots at them both😂😂😂
My mechanic gave me hell when I replaced the original single carb (base '72 2002) with a Weber. He claimed the original just needed an hour or two on the bench - it was a much better carb.
yeah.. my father had one of these 2002ti.. the carburetors were a pain to tune but for a 5 year old kid, the car was just stunning and had great sound... looked like a race car ❤
I love them as well having owned a E92 M3, F82 M4C and currently a 6 month old G82 M4C...and yes I love the beaver toothed front end despite all of the hate it gets via the inter-webs.
That was a great history. Thanks. But what you never mentioned, and is less well known, is that BMWs all come with standard signal indicators! Who knew?
To bad you didn't mentioned the E38 which is the best what BMW has made. Great quality and great design. Shut a door on one of these and you can hear the build quality.
No you're not being harsh on BMW with reference to your comment toward the end. They used to be built to last and had earned their rep for german reliability but for the last 25/30yrs they have been mostly built to break. Any company that encompasses planned obsolescence deserve all the wrap they can possibly get. Hats off to the BMW of the 20th century.
@@wernerdanler2742 and you could "ride" one on a motorbike licence. Back in those days many people started motoring life on a bike, maybe with a sidecar for the wife. Then when you had more money you could just buy a three-wheeler including a Reliant Regal.
I've got an E46 320d with 278,000 miles on the clock and it makes granite look tricky and unstable. It's still on its original clutch, turbo and injectors and it's a joy to work on compared to anything FWD, particularly modern cars where the bonnet was spec'd by a keyhole surgery specialist.
The last well made German cars were the pre water cooled Porsches. It's only going to get worse, after the Ukraine conflict, with skyrocketing energy prices cutting margins even further. Actually there are only two car companies on the entire planet that I trust with quality nowadays: Toyota & Honda.
@@musouiwatched it all the way through, hoping it might get a bit interesting, but it was exactly as expected, and maybe a little bit biased. No mention of how terrible they have actually become
Actually, in Europe BMW has indeed been considered dependable, mostly the "made in Germany". It's known that even some specifications vary on different markets worldwide.
@@kendimen.c European here, BMW is a joke. Trading on a reputation that they haven't loved up to in at least 20 years, or closer to 30. The only people I know who thinks BMW is a good car are either German or don't know anything about cars (as well as probably don't have to pay for it themselves)
The E30 and E36 3 series and E28 and E34 5 series was probably the BMW models that near single handedly killed off the mainstream branded executive car - things like the Ford Scorpio, the entire SAAB brand, Citroen XM, Renault Safrane, and the entire Oldsmobile brand. The Honda/Acura Legend and Lexus LS were just the killing blows. The only survivors from this time period I could think of being the Volvo 900 series, Toyota Crown, Ford Taurus. Simply put when BMW moved downmarket as well as expanded in their existing markets the customer base in Europe who used to buy the EU Ford Granada suddenly started gravitating to BMWs because for just slightly higher prices they got the BMW brand, sporty looks and feel, and same levels of luxury features. Meanwhile in the US BMW successfully tapped into a nascent part of the customer base that was begging for sporty sedans with good built quality and reliability compared to what was being built by GM, Ford and Chrysler at the time. None of the big three offered anything like what BMW had - BMW attracted yuppies with the 5 series and 7 series and attracted young executives with the 3 series. And the M cars became instant classics even at the time.
@@michaelho4014 I would say the E46 was the biggest killer of the mainstream. During the 2000s sales of it rocketed in the UK particularly and the Ford Mondeo was left limping along.
You missed an opportunity to mention the construction of the new corporate HQ/Museum in time for the ‘72 games that could be seen from the Olympic venue. Still a stunning design.
And while no advertising was allowed on the grounds of the Olympic games of course, the conveniently located high rise office building pretty much opposite the undergrund station, with its large BMW logo on top was basically the most dominant piece of brand advertising at the Olympics.
I was a loyal BMW customer for 30 years from 1990 on. My first BMW was a E34 M5 in 1990, I had 2 E38 750i V12, a 335i and an F10 550i. Today, I can't stand the actual design language anymore, most of the cars are simply ugly.
Back then the M badge stood for something. If you wanted an M3 or M5, for example, it would come only with a manual transmission. Nowadays, even pedestrian BMWs can carry an M badge. BMW has sacrificed its soul in order to sell more cars.
I agree. The new age of cars have an ugly insectoid design. Some look too aggressive. I really hate the new models. They have really lost the plot when it comes to design. Who are these idiots designing these ?
Great content again. One of the reasons I don't watch much TV anymore is youtubers like yourself. Only just noticed the LEGO DeLorean in the background. Got one for my birthday last month. Great model but Great Scot what a long build!
Of the 453 M1s built, one of them was in the BMW dealership showroom in Bitburg, Germany. I had a very close look at it and I remember thinking it was so futuristic. I was shopping for a small car and ended up with a used 1983 316 1.8L. I think I paid DM3,500. It had been slightly modified by the previous owner. It sat slightly lower, had a BMW racing visor across the top of the windscreen, a wooden stick shift with BMW logo instead of manual gear tree. It was a very nice car which I grew to love. I immediately took it on to the autobahn, which was nearer to Trier, if I remember correctly. Once on the autobahn, I was promptly passed by just about everything. That 1.8 was nice, but there were so many much faster cars.
Great video of fantastic cars of which I myself owned the hatchback version of the 02 series, an Orange 1972 2000 Touring. A car way ahead of the Golf as it had split foldable rear seats. The engine was a 2 liter 100 hp solex single carb. The Ti had double Weber 45s and the Tii had a fuel injected engine at 130 hp. All three engine were avaibale on the Touring model. I had mine between 1982 until 2007. Wish i kept it as these are extremely rare car now. Thank you for the video.
Thanks for the history, I really enjoy your work. Only, with BMW you omitted to mention the Glass BMWs manufactured in South Africa and Zimbawe in the early 1970's. In South Africa they were known as the BMW 1800 (1800cc) and 2000 (2000cc) fitted to the last handsome Gass bodies. In Zimbawe the ckd kits were assembled and branded thw BMW Cheetah. BMW have been manufacturing cars, NOT ckd, in South Africa since the late 60's. Fully manyfactured. For at least 12 years most 3 series RHD 3 series cars in the world were produced here. Since I think 2021 they chenged to manufacturing the RHD X3s. Most RHD X3's sold worldwide are manufactured in South Afirca today. I owned 4 three series prior to 2002. They were great. Family members have not been so lucky with post 2010 BMWs. Surprise, I now drive a Chinese Chery with a 1500 turbo engine and packed with up to date luxury features in a soft padded interior with genuine stiching on the soft dashboard. It has not needef to return to the dealer for any issues in 2 years of ownership. Other owners report the same. Absolute stressless motoring with the latest full TFT dahboard screens and great performance. After owning 7 German cars, with regular issues to be sorted sometimes at great expense, I will never buy another German car. Engineering quality after the mid 1990s went to the dogs in favour of FLASH. Must say though, that the Chery's engine is apparently designed by a reputable Austrian company known for sound engine desigm 😂 Best of both worlds?
I had a couple of E28s back in the day. I liked the 'little six' engine and the old fashioned look of them. The first was a 528 automatic that handled like a Marina with bald tyres. It was worse in the wet. The second was a 520 manual that went like a Marina 1.3 towing a really heavy caravan. And it broke down very reliably between 12-15 miles away from home. Every time. *I had a Marina 1700HL once. It was fine. I didn't drive it much. It never broke down.
What a grand tour (see what I did there?) of the BMW legacy. Really enjoyed that! For the record, I don't think you're being to hard on them; not that I've been anywhere near in the market for one lately but I've not seen a model in a while I've felt needs to go on the wish list. Though I appreciate my needs are not the same as the demand they are happily filling just now. It's all good.
Hail to the E24 and E36. My personal favourite BMW platforms. Not to mention the original supercar M1. The BMWs (and mercs) of the 70s-90s were truly something else, boxy yet beautiful in all their glory.
I’ve had 3 BMWs over the years and I currently drive a 2016 F82 M4. I still get a chill and a grin every time the garage door goes up. It has been great for all 5 years of ownership. Oh, and the BMW 507 is one of the most beautiful and elegant cars ever! 😊🏁🍻
I was talking with a customer while taking them to the dealership I work at. The official car of Microsoft employees used to be the BMW 3 series, now it's the Tesla Model 3. Also, the E30 3-Series is the darling of young car enthusiasts like me, Although I have a soft spot for the E39 5-Series.
Nah. I worked at Microsoft for years, and it wasn't the BMW 3 series. There were all kinds of cars, and that wasn't particularly prevalent. But Tesla Model 3's are EVERYWHERE in the Redmond area now, so that might be right.
Bmw perfection was crystallized by making the bracket that holds fuel lines in the middle of a hot engine made of plastic. WHEN it melts, it sprays gasoline all over the hot engine (not a little, a lot). Being bmw, from 1995 to 2010, they did this on EVERY engine!
My first car was an BMW 3 Series . I learned something new , the Austin connection at the beginning of BMW car production . Thanks for the Story . Greetings from Germany. 🍺
Thank you for a very condensed history of BMW, some of them i did not know about(i'm72) but you seem to have missed the very important models that have made BMW one of the best manufacturers of "the drivers car" ,2002i, 328i, 635csl, all MS's, M4's M5's, some of the cars that make BMW the performance vehicles for driving and motor racing today. I have not forgotten about the struggles you have emphasised, but the current results of both car , and moto must be also be praised as great achievements by the amazing team at BMW.
I am in Brisbane, Australia and have owned an Aug. 2007 BMW XW3 3.0d for nearly 7 years. I love this car and intend to keep it for the long term. Having the M57TU (Aluminium) engine it has more than enough grunt for me. I have had the swirl flaps removed and replaced with blanks on the advice of my mechanic (BMW expert non-dealership).
Well, I have a very last BMW 3 series that doesn't have a touch screen but has analog gauges - and guess what? It was heavily criticised for not having those features, while everybody else, including "cheap" Volkswagen offered them. So much so, that this was added as an option to the facelift version, even though the car wasn't designed for it so the touchscreen was hard to reach and digital gauges offered 0 config options, but at least people were happy. So that's disproves a bit the popular claim that this is pushed by manufacturers against the people - no it isn't :)
@@EustaH I don't think 1% of these people realize that 99% of people buying these cars don't want 4 wheels, a directly connected rack and pinion steering wheel, and just gauges. They want comfort, refinement, engineering, luxury & performance. There's a reason mazdas, mk4 supras, gtrs, etc, don't sell as well as what cars that are more disconnected and more luxurious sell as. 99% of the M3 customers would immediately stop purchasing it if they went for full analog gauges and went for the best steering feel ever in a BMW. I know for a fact I wouldn't place an order for one when the 2025 ordering guide comes out if they didn't have that big touch screen and whatever else. I'm the one buying the car too... Not whoever is complaining on their ass I know for a fact a billion dollar company could definitely over-engineer these things, and I also know for a fact that nobody would want it like that.
Absolutely superb video . Thank you. So well edited and very informative. Learned a lot actually and whilst I personally wished he’d have touched lightly upon the E39- 5 Series,( perhaps the greatest mass production car in almost 30 years!), this was top notch ! Thank you 👍
I think you missed a few parts of the story such as what went on in the China market and how this affected design choices. Also, the factories in North America, I would like to know what happened to the i3 factory and if all the low quality blocky SAVs come from there.
Feel you should have added some moaning from BMW owners, ie me. Since 2005, they include too many plastic parts in difficult to fix places and the cost of owning one around 100K miles is tough. We can all expect wear and tear of the odd belt and bush, but their penny-pinching has lost them any credibility for reliability. This includes, amazingly, not putting an o-ring on their headlight units so the circuits corrupt with condensation. Everyone has probably noticed that BMWs are cheap secondhand. This is why. You need to keep £2-3K in the bank for the unavoidable BMW bong of doom. My 6 cylinder 5 series F11 is an absolute joy to drive and those 6 cylinders sound amazing in warp mode. But my next car won't be a beamer.
Mein cousin arbeitet für einen der zulieferer von BMW. Er ist deshalb regelmäßig in deren produktionshallen. Er hat erzählt das der i3 dort nur FilzEi genannt wird. Das cockpit ist mit filz gedämmt. Wenn es klappert wird das Cockpit wieder ausgebaut und noch eine lage filz eingeklebt. Solange bis es nicht mehr klappert. Ausserdem behält BMW das kleinere Batteriepack wenn man sich nachträglich ein größeres einbauen läßt. Man bezahlt aber trotzdem den vollen preis für das größere pack ohne daß das kleinere angerechnet wird. Über geschmack lässt sich ja bekanntlich nicht streiten. Es gibt scheinbar genug denen das aktuelle design gefällt. Aber meiner meinung nach waren die BMW die auf dem design des e36 basierten die letzten wirklich schönen.
BMW, has divorced from the good design and personality that they had till the very first years of the 2000's. Nowadays BMW are tasteless o plain ugly. And I say this with pain in my heart because BMW is one of my favourites car brands. IMHO the golden era of this brand goes from mid 70's till mid 90's.
Peak bmw between the e28 and e30 up to the e46 and e39 . Absolutely the golden years 😎 Ive been an e30 owner for 20 some years now and still have one. For me, the best car they ever made (which im sure some will chime in to disagree such is the internet)😊
16:16 McLaren didn't 'choose' the BMW V12 exactly. McLaren contracted BMW to build a proprietary engine for them. The S70/2 V12 used in the F1 shared nothing at all with the S70B56 used by BMW in their own cars. Only the bore spacing was shared.
Being inside of one of the modern ones might be a "luxurious experience" but from a spectator's view it makes me hurl and cry for the times BMWs really were a joy to see
More like past 10. I think the some of the Bangle era cars aged quite well, especially the E92 and E60. And then the next generations - F30, F10 etc, and especially the F13 6 series did grasp the sporty yet elegant design BMW was known for earlier. This is all subjective though… the XM, iX, new 7 are beyond subjective. They are just objectively ugly pieces of metal that shout “get the f*** out of my way” and that is their sole purpose… but then again have you sat in a new Mercedes that’s not an S class recently?
Thanks so much for this! What a great story of certainly one of my favourite makes, owned BMWs since the early eighties and still running one now. What did upset a lot of BMW owners was the addition of "M" badges to cars that did not deserve the accolade, and fairly basic cars had the badges added presumably for sales. Another issue that you mentioned, are the ludicrously large grilles added to recent models and that did put a lot of owners off of the marque.
It is interesting how excited I get when I see a new Big Car vid. I had a dinner date with my special lady friend tonight and I was tempted to cancel just so I could stay home in my pj's and watch the vid. I was tempted when she walked out to the car to get something to pull up the vid 😂 but I waited until I got home. It's the latest episode of my favorite show!
BMW stands for break my wallet in the automotive technician world. Great cars. You have to keep up on the maintenance though. When I was working as a tech it was lack of maintenance most of the time BMWs came in. Parts are really expensive too.
These giant IPAD screens need to go. God forbid they go down for good, need a replacement, or break out right. Bring back the analog gauges! Still loving my X1 Xdrive28i
I owned a e46 328i. It was a great driving focused car, but the quality was awful. The engine was build to last forever. But thats it. The cooler broke about 3 times. A lot of other parts you could replace every 2 years that usually last forever in other cars. And then there was the chassis that broke in half where the rear axle is mounted. It was a great car, fun to drive and i miss it. But i really dont miss the times i spend to maintain this car😂
I’ve heard similar tales, the the fabled E46 M3 is just not that nice to drive, let alone own. Many modern cars have higher power to weight ratios and are more reliable.
Check out Steve Saxty's BMW design books - www.stevesaxty.com
Errata: The Russians were allied with the Allies. That could have been clearer.
Also, the 2002ti didn't have fuel injection.
Your videos are fire bro! Keep it up! (Please make VW Transporter story lol)
I got the book set this week, and they are a must have for everyone deeply interested in the brand. The way they describe the thoughts and processes in their design team is just amazing and really makes you feel like you re-visit the moments of creation yourself. Worth every penny!
You're still playing word salad. The Russians WERE the Allieds. If it wasn't for the bravery and sacrifice of the Russian army and its people, you'd be speaking Deutsche and saluting Hitler at the start of your videos.
I love your channel, you do a great job of research and, as a result, the narrative is compelling.
@@ghost21501 yeah,very strange choice to separate out one of the allies from the others, but i think england is suffering from government empowered RDS at the moment
There's something so endearing about BMW giving Citroen the permission to use the C1 name that they'd previously used on their obscure scooter-car hybrid concept, and Citroen later returning the favour when BMW was looking for a name for their new super-SUV
The BMUU XM, modern corporate narcissm in a three ton blob.
GM used "C1" before BMW.
Oh God, don't remind me of that monster! I don't mean the C1 or the Citroen XM, to be clear.
@@basshead.Yeh but in America. No one in Europe cares.
@@zaphodbeeblebrox9109 It still shows that BMW is a scummy company.
Fantastic history videos as always, to coincide with your video, I just wanted to say that the designer Marcello Gandini (1938-2024) passed away at 85 yesterday. He designed the E12 generation 5 series.
"Can form and function be separated, I believe you cannot" He asserted.
I loved the M1 and the E36 and E46 wagon, and M3. Black coupe.
I heard from someone else. A sad loss.
@@BigCar2 It was, I was shocked I read it yesterday on roadandtrack. The announcement just seemed appropriate on a video like this.
RIP 🙏
@@mikegan73 Agreed, he was a great and accomplished man, I was shocked and saddened when I read his passing😢
I'm working on another video that talks about a car he did the interior for, so I've put a mention of his passing in there.
BMW didn't just start with motorcycles, they're nowadays the only remaining company producing powerful motorcycles in Germany and play an important role in the German/EU motorbike market. (Not really worldwide, seems like Asia is dominated by Honda ...)
But "The BMW motorbike story" is probably something for another channel because this one is primarily dealing with 4-wheelers.
Fortnine could do the BMW motorcycle story.
or @bartmotorcycle
BMW and Mercedes in South Africa had and have a long running spat😂😂😂 so much so that Nandoes ran a series of adverts that took a few pot shots at them both😂😂😂
"The BMW motorbike story"? Let's not start another discussion on how much influence Douglas Motors had on BMW's development ;-)
I love their bikes. The R Series are magnificent bikes.
Best ever BMW in the thumbnail - E34
Rusty hulks
The best color.. calypso 🔥 same color as my 97 328i
Love your content!
A small correction: the 2002 ti was dual carburetor and the 2002 tii was the one with Kügelfischer mechanical fuel injection.
Noticed that as well, but if I may do another small correction: It's Kugelfischer, pronounced something like cooglefisher
My mechanic gave me hell when I replaced the original single carb (base '72 2002) with a Weber. He claimed the original just needed an hour or two on the bench - it was a much better carb.
yeah.. my father had one of these 2002ti.. the carburetors were a pain to tune but for a 5 year old kid, the car was just stunning and had great sound... looked like a race car ❤
@@larstragl146 does that come from "sphere fisher"?
Thanks - I've posted a correction as a pinned comment.
Not a single picture of one of the very best BMWs the e39 5-Series!?
Too much BMW to fit in.
@@BigCar2 EXACTLY!
owned a e30,e36,e60, currently a f22 great cars and yes the indicators worked on all of them
I love them as well having owned a E92 M3, F82 M4C and currently a 6 month old G82 M4C...and yes I love the beaver toothed front end despite all of the hate it gets via the inter-webs.
That was a great history. Thanks. But what you never mentioned, and is less well known, is that BMWs all come with standard signal indicators! Who knew?
Andy. This is a real tour de force. The whole story in 40 mins. Your best yet!
To bad you didn't mentioned the E38 which is the best what BMW has made. Great quality and great design. Shut a door on one of these and you can hear the build quality.
Also most beautiful among e39
@@dot7107 indeed. Those 2 are the best what BMW has made.
@@WieDrDerJonge As the owner of both - yes. Two most beautiful BMW cars ever.
Often better than television. These videos are made by enthusiasts and doesn't the quality plus depth of knowledge show through.
No you're not being harsh on BMW with reference to your comment toward the end.
They used to be built to last and had earned their rep for german reliability but for the last 25/30yrs they have been mostly built to break.
Any company that encompasses planned obsolescence deserve all the wrap they can possibly get.
Hats off to the BMW of the 20th century.
The Isetta had 4 wheels. Only for the British market they were fitted with only 3 wheels.
The rear ones so close together that this unlucky arrangement of two very different tracks earnt it the nickname "pothole detecting device"
If I remember right, that had to do with them being classified as a motorbike as opposed to a car for road tax purposes in Britain.
@@wernerdanler2742 for sure! Isetta, Peel, Morgan, Reliant, Bond and probably others a result of tax regulations.
@@wernerdanler2742 For the Deutsche Markt. Look up the Ellenator, same trick goes on today.
@@wernerdanler2742 and you could "ride" one on a motorbike licence. Back in those days many people started motoring life on a bike, maybe with a sidecar for the wife. Then when you had more money you could just buy a three-wheeler including a Reliant Regal.
Always love Bigcar story's!
I've got an E46 320d with 278,000 miles on the clock and it makes granite look tricky and unstable. It's still on its original clutch, turbo and injectors and it's a joy to work on compared to anything FWD, particularly modern cars where the bonnet was spec'd by a keyhole surgery specialist.
I had i e46 330ci, but it was a sorry excuse for a bmw compared to my 525i E34 before.
The 2001+ BMW e39 with the Angel eye headlamps was one of the nicest looking BMW's ever made.
BMW Story:
- Plastic termostat housing
- Plastic Intake manifold
- Plastic valve covers
- Plastic water pumps
- Plastic everything.
Yet they will certainly charge you premium prices for cheap plastic lol
That's how they dominated the plastic market
Don't forget that made-in-Mexico quality found in NA 3 series.
Then don’t buy one.
The last well made German cars were the pre water cooled Porsches. It's only going to get worse, after the Ukraine conflict, with skyrocketing energy prices cutting margins even further.
Actually there are only two car companies on the entire planet that I trust with quality nowadays: Toyota & Honda.
The only thing they dominate these days is highly questionable design decisions
And rubbish cars
Indeed. Those cars are ugly as hell.
@chucky2316 Sooo, you don't have money to buy one and/or never had one....
They're really trying to unseat the Pontiac Aztek as world's ugliest car.
Then don’t buy one.
"dependable cars that keep getting better".... not even a minute in and i'm already in tears laughing
@@musouiwatched it all the way through, hoping it might get a bit interesting, but it was exactly as expected, and maybe a little bit biased. No mention of how terrible they have actually become
Actually, in Europe BMW has indeed been considered dependable, mostly the "made in Germany". It's known that even some specifications vary on different markets worldwide.
the b58 is dependable... it's been top 10 in reliability, and their drivetrains top 5, even top 3 in reliability only behind toyota.
@@kendimen.c European here, BMW is a joke. Trading on a reputation that they haven't loved up to in at least 20 years, or closer to 30. The only people I know who thinks BMW is a good car are either German or don't know anything about cars (as well as probably don't have to pay for it themselves)
BMW is the most reliable performance car brand in the world apart from japan with Lexus but the driving experience is not the same as BMW
No mention of the E30 or E39? Two seminal models in the history of BMW.
Yes! The first M3 changed the face of performance motoring. One of the most important BMW ever. It deserved more attention.
The E30 and E36 3 series and E28 and E34 5 series was probably the BMW models that near single handedly killed off the mainstream branded executive car - things like the Ford Scorpio, the entire SAAB brand, Citroen XM, Renault Safrane, and the entire Oldsmobile brand. The Honda/Acura Legend and Lexus LS were just the killing blows. The only survivors from this time period I could think of being the Volvo 900 series, Toyota Crown, Ford Taurus.
Simply put when BMW moved downmarket as well as expanded in their existing markets the customer base in Europe who used to buy the EU Ford Granada suddenly started gravitating to BMWs because for just slightly higher prices they got the BMW brand, sporty looks and feel, and same levels of luxury features. Meanwhile in the US BMW successfully tapped into a nascent part of the customer base that was begging for sporty sedans with good built quality and reliability compared to what was being built by GM, Ford and Chrysler at the time. None of the big three offered anything like what BMW had - BMW attracted yuppies with the 5 series and 7 series and attracted young executives with the 3 series.
And the M cars became instant classics even at the time.
@@michaelho4014 I would say the E46 was the biggest killer of the mainstream. During the 2000s sales of it rocketed in the UK particularly and the Ford Mondeo was left limping along.
You missed an opportunity to mention the construction of the new corporate HQ/Museum in time for the ‘72 games that could be seen from the Olympic venue. Still a stunning design.
And while no advertising was allowed on the grounds of the Olympic games of course, the conveniently located high rise office building pretty much opposite the undergrund station, with its large BMW logo on top was basically the most dominant piece of brand advertising at the Olympics.
Great retrospective of BMW!
Many thanks Lawerence.
Can you please do a documentary on Mazda next.
I was a loyal BMW customer for 30 years from 1990 on. My first BMW was a E34 M5 in 1990, I had 2 E38 750i V12, a 335i and an F10 550i. Today, I can't stand the actual design language anymore, most of the cars are simply ugly.
Goodbye dude! You're irrelevant !
Back then the M badge stood for something. If you wanted an M3 or M5, for example, it would come only with a manual transmission. Nowadays, even pedestrian BMWs can carry an M badge. BMW has sacrificed its soul in order to sell more cars.
Modern BMW's are soulless. Imo the E34 and E30 are the best cars the company has made.
@@SomeOne_86 Yeah yeah...grandpa.
Sorry, but your ideologically dumb kind of pseudo criticising BMW ist nothing but annoying.
I agree. The new age of cars have an ugly insectoid design. Some look too aggressive. I really hate the new models.
They have really lost the plot when it comes to design. Who are these idiots designing these ?
Great content again. One of the reasons I don't watch much TV anymore is youtubers like yourself. Only just noticed the LEGO DeLorean in the background. Got one for my birthday last month. Great model but Great Scot what a long build!
Of the 453 M1s built, one of them was in the BMW dealership showroom in Bitburg, Germany. I had a very close look at it and I remember thinking it was so futuristic. I was shopping for a small car and ended up with a used 1983 316 1.8L. I think I paid DM3,500. It had been slightly modified by the previous owner. It sat slightly lower, had a BMW racing visor across the top of the windscreen, a wooden stick shift with BMW logo instead of manual gear tree. It was a very nice car which I grew to love. I immediately took it on to the autobahn, which was nearer to Trier, if I remember correctly. Once on the autobahn, I was promptly passed by just about everything. That 1.8 was nice, but there were so many much faster cars.
The new BMWs are absolutely grotesque. More specifically, the 7 series and the XM. Just hideous.
Nearly every new car is grotesque. Just take a look at the illuminated grills, Disneyland-Blinkers and similar BS
Great video of fantastic cars of which I myself owned the hatchback version of the 02 series, an Orange 1972 2000 Touring. A car way ahead of the Golf as it had split foldable rear seats.
The engine was a 2 liter 100 hp solex single carb. The Ti had double Weber 45s and the Tii had a fuel injected engine at 130 hp. All three engine were avaibale on the Touring model. I had mine between 1982 until 2007.
Wish i kept it as these are extremely rare car now.
Thank you for the video.
The "Hofmiester Kink" sounds like some really nasty thing that you dare your buddies to look up on urban dictionary.... lol 😂
Great content as always. 👍
Thanks for the history, I really enjoy your work.
Only, with BMW you omitted to mention the Glass BMWs manufactured in South Africa and Zimbawe in the early 1970's. In South Africa they were known as the BMW 1800 (1800cc) and 2000 (2000cc) fitted to the last handsome Gass bodies. In Zimbawe the ckd kits were assembled and branded thw BMW Cheetah.
BMW have been manufacturing cars, NOT ckd, in South Africa since the late 60's. Fully manyfactured. For at least 12 years most 3 series RHD 3 series cars in the world were produced here. Since I think 2021 they chenged to manufacturing the RHD X3s. Most RHD X3's sold worldwide are manufactured in South Afirca today. I owned 4 three series prior to 2002. They were great. Family members have not been so lucky with post 2010 BMWs. Surprise, I now drive a Chinese Chery with a 1500 turbo engine and packed with up to date luxury features in a soft padded interior with genuine stiching on the soft dashboard. It has not needef to return to the dealer for any issues in 2 years of ownership. Other owners report the same. Absolute stressless motoring with the latest full TFT dahboard screens and great performance. After owning 7 German cars, with regular issues to be sorted sometimes at great expense, I will never buy another German car. Engineering quality after the mid 1990s went to the dogs in favour of FLASH. Must say though, that the Chery's engine is apparently designed by a reputable Austrian company known for sound engine desigm 😂 Best of both worlds?
I had a couple of E28s back in the day. I liked the 'little six' engine and the old fashioned look of them.
The first was a 528 automatic that handled like a Marina with bald tyres. It was worse in the wet.
The second was a 520 manual that went like a Marina 1.3 towing a really heavy caravan. And it broke down very reliably between 12-15 miles away from home. Every time.
*I had a Marina 1700HL once. It was fine. I didn't drive it much. It never broke down.
What a grand tour (see what I did there?) of the BMW legacy. Really enjoyed that! For the record, I don't think you're being to hard on them; not that I've been anywhere near in the market for one lately but I've not seen a model in a while I've felt needs to go on the wish list. Though I appreciate my needs are not the same as the demand they are happily filling just now. It's all good.
1st gen 3 series mentioned! I love my 79, such a wonderful little car.
Hail to the E24 and E36. My personal favourite BMW platforms. Not to mention the original supercar M1. The BMWs (and mercs) of the 70s-90s were truly something else, boxy yet beautiful in all their glory.
90s mercs and bmws were rusty trash
I’ve had 3 BMWs over the years and I currently drive a 2016 F82 M4. I still get a chill and a grin every time the garage door goes up. It has been great for all 5 years of ownership. Oh, and the BMW 507 is one of the most beautiful and elegant cars ever! 😊🏁🍻
I was talking with a customer while taking them to the dealership I work at.
The official car of Microsoft employees used to be the BMW 3 series, now it's the Tesla Model 3.
Also, the E30 3-Series is the darling of young car enthusiasts like me, Although I have a soft spot for the E39 5-Series.
Nah. I worked at Microsoft for years, and it wasn't the BMW 3 series. There were all kinds of cars, and that wasn't particularly prevalent. But Tesla Model 3's are EVERYWHERE in the Redmond area now, so that might be right.
@@BigCar2 I know, I live in downtown Redmond, I've seen so many Model 3 or Y's that they just blend in everywhere.
I still can't get the hang of going the wrong way down those roads that used to be one way. It's just wrong.
Bmw perfection was crystallized by making the bracket that holds fuel lines in the middle of a hot engine made of plastic. WHEN it melts, it sprays gasoline all over the hot engine (not a little, a lot). Being bmw, from 1995 to 2010, they did this on EVERY engine!
My first car was an BMW 3 Series .
I learned something new , the Austin connection at the beginning of BMW car production .
Thanks for the Story .
Greetings from Germany.
🍺
And the rover connection for all youre x drive and 4x4 tech you stole when you pillaged rover
The Austin copy was named BMW 3/15 Dixi
@jfv65 who cares what that junk was called.
Thank you for a very condensed history of BMW, some of them i did not know about(i'm72) but you seem to have missed the very important models that have made BMW one of the best manufacturers of "the drivers car" ,2002i, 328i, 635csl, all MS's, M4's M5's, some of the cars that make BMW the performance vehicles for driving and motor racing today. I have not forgotten about the struggles you have emphasised, but the current results of both car , and moto must be also be praised as great achievements by the amazing team at BMW.
Shark nose BMWs are the best! I loved my 525 e12. I still find the 3.0 CSL e9 one of the most gracious designs for a car.
I am in Brisbane, Australia and have owned an Aug. 2007 BMW XW3 3.0d for nearly 7 years. I love this car and intend to keep it for the long term. Having the M57TU (Aluminium) engine it has more than enough grunt for me. I have had the swirl flaps removed and replaced with blanks on the advice of my mechanic (BMW expert non-dealership).
02:40 That grill suits the car. Modern grills do not suit the cars.
The new BMWs with their mean looking headlights and their ridiculously oversized grills, look like angry mutated beavers.
"Dependable cars that keep getting better?"😂
Best joke of the whole video
Great video. Graciously omits the Bangle debacle. Good--better it be forgotten.
BMW very much lost my purchase for the foreseeable future until they give the knobs back for the climate control and forget the touch screens.
So what are you buying ? Genuine question from someone who chose a late model VW Golf MK7 rather than the touchscreen controlled MK8.
@@MrDuncl hes buying air because every car has this nowadays... But they still have knobs for climate controls on some cars. Not for long.
@@SeeFlow-bo1dl check ineos grenadier, it has all the buttons, haha
Well, I have a very last BMW 3 series that doesn't have a touch screen but has analog gauges - and guess what? It was heavily criticised for not having those features, while everybody else, including "cheap" Volkswagen offered them. So much so, that this was added as an option to the facelift version, even though the car wasn't designed for it so the touchscreen was hard to reach and digital gauges offered 0 config options, but at least people were happy.
So that's disproves a bit the popular claim that this is pushed by manufacturers against the people - no it isn't :)
@@EustaH I don't think 1% of these people realize that 99% of people buying these cars don't want 4 wheels, a directly connected rack and pinion steering wheel, and just gauges.
They want comfort, refinement, engineering, luxury & performance.
There's a reason mazdas, mk4 supras, gtrs, etc, don't sell as well as what cars that are more disconnected and more luxurious sell as. 99% of the M3 customers would immediately stop purchasing it if they went for full analog gauges and went for the best steering feel ever in a BMW. I know for a fact I wouldn't place an order for one when the 2025 ordering guide comes out if they didn't have that big touch screen and whatever else. I'm the one buying the car too... Not whoever is complaining on their ass
I know for a fact a billion dollar company could definitely over-engineer these things, and I also know for a fact that nobody would want it like that.
Absolutely superb video . Thank you. So well edited and very informative. Learned a lot actually and whilst I personally wished he’d have touched lightly upon the E39- 5 Series,( perhaps the greatest mass production car in almost 30 years!), this was top notch ! Thank you 👍
Amazing video, so comprehensive, can see this getting millions of views over the years, well done sir
"DON'T MENTION THE WAR!!!"
actually, we're kinda gonna have to mention the war.
I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it.
@@applejuice5272 lol they do not appreciate it being mentioned when you're in Germany... They do not find it amusing at all.
just arrived from garage working on my 1993 740i, with adaptive suspension indeed 😁Thanks for the video.
I think you missed a few parts of the story such as what went on in the China market and how this affected design choices. Also, the factories in North America, I would like to know what happened to the i3 factory and if all the low quality blocky SAVs come from there.
Thank you All Car. That was truly a comprehensive, & ENTERTAINING connect the historical dots story of BMW Evolution.
The BMW XM does not deserve the ''M'' badge.
clearly you haven’t driven or been inside of one
they’re beastly.
@@reptiledisfunction9232 Beastly Grotesque & Oversized.
Feel you should have added some moaning from BMW owners, ie me. Since 2005, they include too many plastic parts in difficult to fix places and the cost of owning one around 100K miles is tough. We can all expect wear and tear of the odd belt and bush, but their penny-pinching has lost them any credibility for reliability. This includes, amazingly, not putting an o-ring on their headlight units so the circuits corrupt with condensation. Everyone has probably noticed that BMWs are cheap secondhand. This is why. You need to keep £2-3K in the bank for the unavoidable BMW bong of doom. My 6 cylinder 5 series F11 is an absolute joy to drive and those 6 cylinders sound amazing in warp mode. But my next car won't be a beamer.
Mein cousin arbeitet für einen der zulieferer von BMW. Er ist deshalb regelmäßig in deren produktionshallen. Er hat erzählt das der i3 dort nur FilzEi genannt wird. Das cockpit ist mit filz gedämmt. Wenn es klappert wird das Cockpit wieder ausgebaut und noch eine lage filz eingeklebt. Solange bis es nicht mehr klappert.
Ausserdem behält BMW das kleinere Batteriepack wenn man sich nachträglich ein größeres einbauen läßt. Man bezahlt aber trotzdem den vollen preis für das größere pack ohne daß das kleinere angerechnet wird.
Über geschmack lässt sich ja bekanntlich nicht streiten. Es gibt scheinbar genug denen das aktuelle design gefällt. Aber meiner meinung nach waren die BMW die auf dem design des e36 basierten die letzten wirklich schönen.
Danke für den Lacher, der mir beim Lesen entfleucht ist 😂😂, so ein Filzei hahaa😅
BMW, has divorced from the good design and personality that they had till the very first years of the 2000's. Nowadays BMW are tasteless o plain ugly. And I say this with pain in my heart because BMW is one of my favourites car brands. IMHO the golden era of this brand goes from mid 70's till mid 90's.
Great video as always. I hope you could make a Gandini special as a tribute.
Never thought I’d hear someone genuinely refer to BMW as dependable 💀
Dependable just means you know what to expect!
BMW's built in Germany have indeed been considered dependable. It's know that even some specifications vary on different markets worldwide.
That was super interesting and well put together. Loved it.
E34 3,8 340hp.
The best of the beasts.
Peak bmw between the e28 and e30 up to the e46 and e39 . Absolutely the golden years 😎
Ive been an e30 owner for 20 some years now and still have one. For me, the best car they ever made (which im sure some will chime in to disagree such is the internet)😊
I wouldn't mind having a BMW from the 70's. But I don't want anything to do with their modern garbage
Those new kidney grilles in particular are awful
Another amazing video, thanks again for the effort 👌
Need to go back to the old design and stop with all the plastic under the hood
The E12 is a beautiful modern classic these days.
It's really a shame they absolutely fall apart after a few years.
Nk tegur ustaz.... alhamdulillah ilmu ustaz sampaikan mmg smackdown.....suka cara pyampaian ustaz n beri kesan
You Posted this on the day i got a ride in an E46 M3. I don't think its an coincidence!
I knew!
A video on the tuning/customisation companies of German cars in the 70's and early 80's would be a gem..
The BMW i8 is stunning in person.
They are actually quite affordable now as well
@@joshb7415 Sure, but the insurance is not 🫣
Brilliant video,
There is just something about the look and driving experience of bmw coupes that I love. A mixture of sport and luxury.
Now I need to watch the Alpina story 🙄
16:16 McLaren didn't 'choose' the BMW V12 exactly. McLaren contracted BMW to build a proprietary engine for them. The S70/2 V12 used in the F1 shared nothing at all with the S70B56 used by BMW in their own cars. Only the bore spacing was shared.
Being inside of one of the modern ones might be a "luxurious experience" but from a spectator's view it makes me hurl and cry for the times BMWs really were a joy to see
Nice work. I enjoyed that. Looking forward to the next vid already. Please let it be a car/company with exciting design..
Great video man, this needs more views for sure.
How can anyone look at a modern BMW and say "yes, I am happy with the styling of that"?
Awful bloody things.
Well. I have a 3 series touring, and I like it…
Not the sexiest car, but it looks good.
I blame the popularity of all the ugly SUV’s.
Reminds me of the most pointless job in the world... indicators installer at the BMW factory.
Unfortunately every one of their cars in the last 20 years has been hideously ugly and only getting worse.
Е92, F10, F30, G20, G30, G11, F22, G15 and their M versions are definatelly not ugly by any means.
More like past 10. I think the some of the Bangle era cars aged quite well, especially the E92 and E60. And then the next generations - F30, F10 etc, and especially the F13 6 series did grasp the sporty yet elegant design BMW was known for earlier. This is all subjective though… the XM, iX, new 7 are beyond subjective. They are just objectively ugly pieces of metal that shout “get the f*** out of my way” and that is their sole purpose… but then again have you sat in a new Mercedes that’s not an S class recently?
Unfortunately they are quite successful at selling them. So ig, the buyers don't really care!
I didn't really like BMWs before. Now I love them.
I really like the new 3 and 5 series station cars of them
There's a BMW Dixi (based on the Seven) at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon. It was given to Rover group after the BMW takeover in the mid '90s.
A sweetener before they pillaged rover how good and kind of them
BMW now just mean yuk grille and Broke My Wallet, they used to be nice cars.
Or how to turn a great car maker into a purveyor of junk.
Thanks so much for this!
What a great story of certainly one of my favourite makes, owned BMWs since the early eighties and still running one now.
What did upset a lot of BMW owners was the addition of "M" badges to cars that did not deserve the accolade, and fairly basic cars had the badges added presumably for sales. Another issue that you mentioned, are the ludicrously large grilles added to recent models and that did put a lot of owners off of the marque.
Bmw today is ugly
Always look forward to these videos.
Bmw have now poor styling
Your final comments are spot on. Thanks for the video
Did you really say “ dependable” and BMW in the same sentence?
Excellent video as always! If you have not been to BMW Welt in Munich, I highly recommend it.
Getting better? Are you sure? Uglier definitely, and they haven't made a decent manual gearbox for the last 25 years. BMW is not what it used to be 😢
It is interesting how excited I get when I see a new Big Car vid. I had a dinner date with my special lady friend tonight and I was tempted to cancel just so I could stay home in my pj's and watch the vid. I was tempted when she walked out to the car to get something to pull up the vid 😂 but I waited until I got home. It's the latest episode of my favorite show!
BMW are crap now. Current owners are in the clouds. Any mechy worth their salt will tell you how crap the post 2005 bimmers are. Sh1te
They are bought on finance by morons. They don’t have to last more than a few months, and then they’re just on the scrap heap.
BMW stands for break my wallet in the automotive technician world. Great cars. You have to keep up on the maintenance though. When I was working as a tech it was lack of maintenance most of the time BMWs came in. Parts are really expensive too.
These giant IPAD screens need to go. God forbid they go down for good, need a replacement, or break out right. Bring back the analog gauges! Still loving my X1 Xdrive28i
That's funny, I'm watching this in my car before work on a 10 inch android tablet in my ATS
@@adamhayden5152 enjoy 👍 some enjoy these , others don’t. Iam ok with my OEM 8.8 screen . More than for me.
BMW hero to zero...
I owned a e46 328i. It was a great driving focused car, but the quality was awful. The engine was build to last forever. But thats it. The cooler broke about 3 times. A lot of other parts you could replace every 2 years that usually last forever in other cars. And then there was the chassis that broke in half where the rear axle is mounted. It was a great car, fun to drive and i miss it. But i really dont miss the times i spend to maintain this car😂
I’ve heard similar tales, the the fabled E46 M3 is just not that nice to drive, let alone own.
Many modern cars have higher power to weight ratios and are more reliable.
new bmw cars are so butt ugly, as if they gave up and had AI do it
My dad had both the 2CSL and the 528i. I was very fond of both of them. I did and still do love the old six series, what an elegant car.