BMW 3-Series 50 Years & Performance Guide: 1982-1994 2 Book Set

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.

BMW has always had a reputation for quality in the cars it has exported to the United States. The BMW 2002 developed a cult following of loyal enthusiasts, and properly cemented BMW as a quality manufacturer of sporting sedans with this forerunner to the 3-series. BMW replaced the 2002 with the 3-series models in the 1970s, which heralded a new design, and new improvements annually, each one better than the last.

The model that truly launched BMW into the performance arena in the United States were the second generation of 3-series cars, the "E30" chassis cars. These 1980s and 1990s era cars were offered with a wide range of engine/transmission combinations, but the basic chassis was so well engineered that owners were able to enjoy an outstanding combination of comfort and handling performance regardless of the powertrain. Today, the E30 family of BMWs are both readily available and affordable, and are popular with enthusiasts wanting to personalize them.

Whether for on-track duty or simply improved street performance, the E30 series cars have proven to respond to well-chosen upgrades. Each specific section of the car (chassis, engine, transmission, etc.) is showcased and suitable performance upgrades are discussed in detail. Exterior appearance items are also covered, as are maximum wheel and tire sizes for the entire family of 3-series E30 BMWs. This book offers current and future owners a wealth of important information, including a buyer's guide, year-by-year upgrades and changes, and more. This book is a valuable addition to every BMW owner's library.