BMW 3 Series (E21)

Under the direction of its majority (51%) shareholder, Herbert Quandt, BMW decided upon a replacement for the ageing BMW 02 Series.

In July 1975, BMW's Board of Management introduced the E21 to the public at the Munich Olympic Stadium.[8]

The frontal view of the new car was dominated by the BMW trademark kidney grille standing out clearly from the radiator cover. The styling of the new car bore a resemblance to the E12 5 Series which was in production as the E21 was introduced. Like many other BMW models, the C-pillar of the E21 has a Hofmeister kink.

Paul Bracq, Director of Design at BMW from 1970 to 1974, is credited with setting the design direction of the E21.[9]

The BMW E21 is according to the Design Museum London one of "fifty cars that changed the world".[10]

The cockpit design of the E21 marked the introduction of a new design concept, with the center console and central dashboard area angled towards the driver. This has become part of BMW's interior design philosophy for many years. As a sign of passive safety, all edges and control elements within the interior were rounded off and padded.

• 3-speed ZF 3HP22 automatic[25] (318 and 320)[14]
• 4-speed Getrag 242 manual[26]
• 5-speed Getrag 245 manual, with either an overdrive fifth gear or close-ratio gearing (the latter available from 1976).[27][14]

With a wheelbase measuring 2.6 m (102 in), the lengths of the overhanging front and rear bodywork was minimal. The track measured 1,364 mm (53.7 in) at the front, and 1,377 mm (54.2 in) at the rear.

The suspension incorporated rack and pinion steering and MacPherson strut suspension at the front, and semi-trailing arm type independent suspension at the rear.[14] The rear suspension design causes camber changes, which can introduce "snap oversteer" at the handling limits. The power assisted brakes were discs on the front wheels, while the rear wheels had drum brakes (except the 323i model which had discs all round).

At the E21's release, three models were available: with 316 (1.6-litre), 318 (1.8-litre) and 320 (2.0-litre) versions of the BMW M10 four-cylinder engine. To differentiate between models, the 320 model came with dual headlights, while the 316 and 318 had single headlights.

Baur TopCabriolet

A cabriolet conversion was offered by Karosserie Baur, called the TopCabriolet. It consisted of a targa roof and an independent rear soft-top. The targa roof section was designed to fit in the trunk, while the boot cover doubled as a cover for the plastic rear windshield, protecting it from scratches and frost in winter.[30] Production of the TopCabriolet began in 1978 and all engine options were available.

The cars were sold via the BMW dealership network and all Baur models included the BMW warranty. A total of 4,595 vehicles were manufactured before production ended in 1981.

North American 320i (front)

North American 320i (rear)

The E21 was sold as the 320i in the United States from model years 1977 to 1983, first as a four-cylinder with a 2.0-liter engine, and from 1980 with a 1.8 liter version of the same. Six-cylinder models were not sold in America, because the E21 versions of the M20 engine did not meet U.S. emissions regulations at the time. The 320i models sold in the United States have a thermal reactor as a pollution control device. U.S. models came standard with air conditioning.

From 1977 to 1979, the U.S. models were powered by a 2.0 L (122 cu in) fuel-injected version of the M10 four-cylinder engine. In August 1979, from the 1980 model year, 320i was now powered by a downsized 1.8 L (110 cu in) version of the M10 four-cylinder engine.[31] This resulted in a 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time of 11.1 seconds and a top speed of 169 km/h (105 mph).

Due to American regulations, the following changes were required:[32]

• larger front and rear "diving board" bumper bars, which increased the car's overall length by 16 cm (6 in) to 4.5 m (177 in).
• sealed beam headlights, larger indicator lights and side reflectors
• speedometer in miles-per-hour
• fuel gauge markings changed from litres to "full, ½, reserve"
• a detuned version of the M10 engine, initially using a thermal reactor to control exhaust emissions[33]
• in 1980, the engine was downsized from 2.0 L to 1.8 L and the thermal reactor was replaced with a catalytic converter.

The optional "S Package" (320iS) was introduced in 1981 and sacrificed the factory air conditioning, but offered Recaro sport seats, upgraded suspension in the form of a rear anti-roll bar and a stiffer front anti-roll bar, a 5-speed transmission and limited-slip differential, cross-spoke alloy wheels, a larger and more extensive tool kit, a dual operation manual sunroof, an AM/FM Blaupunkt radio with cassette player, fog lights, a 3-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather shift knob, a front air dam, a "delete" of the alphanumeric 320i markers on the rear trunk lid, a central-dash storage area where A/C controls were otherwise placed, and a limited color palette of white, silver or black. Just 2,500 320iS's were produced.[33]

Production of the E21 began in June 1975[34] and finished in December 1983. Total production estimates vary between 1,359,444 cars to 1,364,039 cars with the Baur TopCabriolet conversions (if not already included in initial BMW chassis numbers) .[1][35]

The E21 was produced at the BMW plant in Munich, Germany. Models sold in Malaysia used complete knock-down kits produced in Germany, which were assembled in Kuching, Malaysia.[36]

The Group 5 version of the BMW 320 introduced in 1977 as a replacement to the BMW 3.0 CSL, nicknamed the Flying Brick in reference to the blocky bodyshape, was powered by a Formula Two engine that was tuned to 225 kW (302 bhp) by BMW Motorsport. The car was developed in only just over 12 weeks, without technical drawings. BMW Motorsport engineers simply carried out the modifications directly, with the car progressively taking its final shape.[37]

The Group 5 320 was also used by the McLaren team in the American International Motor Sports Association series. It was also used by the BMW Junior Team, whose drivers included Manfred Winkelhock, Eddie Cheever, and Marc Surer. The 320 won its first race, at Zolder in 1977 with Marc Surer at the wheel.[37] It also won the 1981 and 1982 Guia Race of Macau.