BMW 3 Series History
BMW's compact sport sedan and the benchmark of its class since 1975 — home of the iconic M3.
Photo: “BMW 316-E21 Front-view” by Luc106 / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain. Cropped to 16:9.
The complete year archive
Every model year
Browse the BMW 3 Series year by year, or narrow the archive by generation, body style, engine, and highlights.
- Model years
- 50
- Generations
- 7
- Archive span
- 1977–2026
Photo: “BMW 316-E21 Front-view” by Luc106 / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain. Cropped to 16:9.
Photo: “BMW 320i” by crash71100 / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Photo: “1995-1996 BMW 318i (E36) Sedan” by Jirapat Chroenkeskij / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Photo: “1998-2001 BMW 328i (E46) sedan” by OSX / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain. Cropped to 16:9.
Photo: “BMW 320i (E90)” by Guillaume Vachey from Chalon sur Saone, France / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Photo: “2016 BMW 3 Series sedan in Mineral Grey Metallic, front view parked on residential street” by OathOn / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Sixth generation · F30/F31/F34
2012–2018
The turbo era: nearly the whole range moved to turbocharged engines. For 2014 the coupe and convertible split off as the separate 4 Series, leaving the 3 Series as sedan, Touring (F31), and Gran Turismo (F34). US F30s ran model years 2012–2018, with the G20 arriving for 2019.
Photo: “BMW 330i (G20) Washington DC Metro Area, USA” by OWS Photography / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
History
Launched in 1975 to replace the 02 Series (the 2002), the 3 Series became BMW's best-seller and effectively defined the compact sport-sedan segment.
Across seven generations — the E21, E30, E36, E46, E90, F30, and G20 chassis — it has balanced everyday usability with driver-focused dynamics, and spawned the celebrated M3.
Generations
First generation · E21
The original 3 Series — a two-door sport sedan that replaced the 02 Series (the 2002). US cars arrived for 1977; the E21 established the compact rear-drive BMW formula the line still follows.
Second generation · E30
The car that made the 3 Series an icon. Added a four-door sedan, a convertible, and the Touring wagon, and — most famously — spawned the original E30 M3 homologation special for 1988 (US). US E30s ran model years 1984–1991.
Third generation · E36
A larger, more modern 3 Series with multilink rear suspension. The first offered as sedan, coupe, convertible, Touring wagon, and the hatchback Compact; the E36 M3 brought six-cylinder M power.
Fourth generation · E46
Widely regarded as a high-water mark for the 3 Series, balancing analog feel with modern refinement. Home of the celebrated S54-powered E46 M3 (US 2001–2006).
Fifth generation · E90/E91/E92/E93
Split across four bodies — E90 sedan, E91 Touring, E92 coupe, E93 retractable-hardtop convertible. The 335i made the 3 Series the first to be sold with a turbocharged petrol engine; the V8 E90/E92 M3 arrived for 2008.
Sixth generation · F30/F31/F34
The turbo era: nearly the whole range moved to turbocharged engines. For 2014 the coupe and convertible split off as the separate 4 Series, leaving the 3 Series as sedan, Touring (F31), and Gran Turismo (F34). US F30s ran model years 2012–2018, with the G20 arriving for 2019.
Seventh generation · G20/G21
The current 3 Series — sedan (G20) and Touring (G21) — on the CLAR platform, with plug-in-hybrid 330e options and the twin-turbo G80 M3, the first M3 offered as a Touring wagon (not US-sold).
Famous 3 Series variants
The nameplates that define the 3 Series — each with its own cross-year history, engines, production, and collectibility.
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Related models
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Find a scale model of the BMW 3 Series
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.