The BMW 3 Series is in the running to be this year’s Autocar Awards Readers’ Champion. Each day a different member of the Autocar team will champion one of the 17 cars, but only one can be the Icon of Icons and it’s up to you to decide - vote here.
You could argue, and I’m going to, that the BMW 3 Series was the car that started what would later be called ‘the flight to premium’.
It was the moment car buyers saw the appeal of choosing a less well-equipped, better-made car with a desirable badge over a Ford or Vauxhall. The flight needed a long run-up – its germ seeding with BMW’s 1966 02 Series – but it’s a flight that has profoundly altered cars over the past 40 years.
Why isn’t the 02 Series, and the famous 2002 that’s a part of it, the icon? Because that car sold in relatively modest numbers compared with the 3 Series, and being available only as a two-door, the (unsuccessful) three-door Touring and a Baur cabriolet, it didn’t enjoy quite the market reach.
But it set the template. Other cars might have made the market for what would eventually be known as the compact executive saloon. One was Alfa Romeo’s 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia saloon, another the 1971 Triumph Dolomite, but their makers failed to fully capitalise, leaving BMW to develop the compact, sporty two-door saloon that was the E21 3 Series of 1975.
It offered much the same formula as before, but with the deeply appealing option of a smooth spinning six-cylinder engine packaged into a modern, beautifully crafted and sporting package. This despite the E21 spinning almost as easily in rain as its straight six did on fuel. Semi-trailing arm rear suspension, and its grip-altering camber changes, was the cause.
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No reason to buy
To me the main reason for buying a 3 series BMW was the straight six.....BMW decided to get rid of both the model number and theengine, I heard one being revved the other day sounded just like an cheap piece of crap...really not surprised that no-one wants one of these any longer, much the same with the rest of the BMW cars. SUV buyers won't care or know any different so that's fine.
405line wrote:
should have a shot of a two litre Petrol, plenty fast enough, loads of torque just where you need it even in Fifth at 70mph there’s still plenty pace left,and it returns 42-43 mpg all day long, and I don’t miss the V6, had a couple in other BMW’s, and for £30K it’s a good buy, some others might be cheaper, but most wont drive like a 3 series.....!
Owned 3 wouldn't buy another
I’ve owned a few
My family have owned twelve 3 Series over the years. As my kids are older now my next car will be a 4 Series. Love them