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The first model
5 Series car, the BMW 520, was a sportingly
elegant four-door sedan with a crisp drive unit and a 115 hp four-cylinder
engine that had more power than was usual in those days. In
autumn 1972, it formed the basis of today's
type classification of the 3, 5 and
7 Series.
The first car of the
new 5 Series was built in Munich, immediately after the end of the 1972 Olympic
Games and the completion of the "BMW Four Cylinder" Building (currently the BMW
Group's head office on Petuelring in Munich). Some 12,895 units were built in
the main factory, before production was moved to the new
BMW plant in Dingolfing in autumn 1973.
The idea for a car of
the caliber of a medium-sized BMW sedan had originated back at the end of the
1950s. At that time, BMW hit on the idea of
developing the kind of automobile that had not existed until then; comfortable
enough for five people and agile enough for a lively drive. The marketing
strategists named the BMW 1500 "the New Class." It saw the light of day for the
first time in 1962.
For the brand with the
blue and white propeller emblem, this idea was to become the central pillar of
its product philosophy. The year 1966 saw the birth of the new compact model, the
two-door 1600-2, with which BMW also "invented" a new dimension in driving. And
at the end of the 1960s, BMW once again picked up its six-cylinder tradition of
the Thirties. The 2500 and
2800 models made their debut in 1968, and the new
"giants" and the 2800 CS coupe were among the top achievements in European
automobile design.
Already in the fourth
generation (and the fifth after the 1500 series), the 5 Series still maintains
its position as the "golden mean" of the product range. The basic concept of
this BMW model series--taken from the description of the 1500--has been retained
consistently, but has gradually been refined and updated over the decades.
The product substance
has always made the 5 Series a trendsetter: an elegant, independent appearance,
comfortable, sporty and practical at the same time, setting standards in both
active and passive safety--in short, a car that appeals to both reason and
emotion.
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Over the years
(1972-1981), 5 Series had six different engine capacities, from the 518 with 90
hp to the M535i with 218. In the second generation (1981-1987), the
spectrum-covered seven engine capacities, plus the diesel and eta versions. The
third generation started in 1987 with a power range of 83 kW/113 hp to 232
kW/315 hp.
In 1991, the 5 Series
diesel made a leap forward with the introduction of a turbo-charged, air-cooled
105 kW/143 hp engine. In 1992, a major innovation for this class of automobile
appeared--the eight-cylinder models 530i (160 kW/218 hp) and 540i (210 kW/286
hp) replaced the 535i and 530i.
Today, the
E39,
the fourth
generation of the 5 Series is an up-to-date technical achievement and provides a
range of choices. There are two body versions--the sedan and (like its
predecessor since 1992) the touring-- with six- and eight-cylinder petrol and
four- and six-cylinder diesel engines, with a power range from 100 kW/136 hp to
210 kW/286 hp, and--as the absolute ultimate--the M5, with 294 kw/400 hp.
The discreetly restyled
5 Series vehicles from the year 2002
are still seen as a benchmark in their class, years after their debut.
With their wide range
of technical innovations, they have set standards, still generally unsurpassed,
in terms of driving characteristics, active and passive safety, individual
comfort and economy.
The 5 Series, for
example, can be supplied with up to ten airbag systems. And taking
into account the many different equipment versions (for example, there are the
Executive and Sport editions) and special accessories, allowing all customers
to buy precisely the right automobile to meet their needs.
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Production
The production figure
for the first 5 Series, the
E12,
made between 1972 and 1981, reached 699,094.
The second version, the
E28,
produced from 1981 to 1987, reached a total of 722,328.
The third version, the
E34,
produced from 1987 to1996 saw production figures rise to 1,333,438.
And the current
E39
version--launched at the end of 1995--has already reached a production level of
over 1.3 million vehicles.
Translated
from BMW AG press release, Wednesday, August 14, 2002.
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