"BMW E21" - the legend of the German car industry

"BMW E21" is a real legend. Every fan of the Bavarian brand is familiar with the history of this car and will be able to tell you a lot of interesting facts. In this article, you will learn interesting moments from the history of creating a model, specifications, read an overview of the appearance, interior and much more.

How did the "E21" come about?

This model is the direct heir of the model Neue Klasse from "BMW", which was produced from 1962 to 1975. The car was produced in a variety of bodies: from a conventional four-door sedan to a sports three-door coupe. In 1975, after changing many modifications, changes and hundreds of thousands of sold cars, the Bavarian company decides to update the car and proceed to a new classification of the model range. Thus, in mid-July 1975, the public was presented to the "BMW E21". The car marked the beginning of a new class - 3 series "BMW". On the body layout of the car is a medium-sized three-door coupe.

In addition to the popularity among fans of German cars, the car managed to light up in motorsport. Motorsport BMW division has developed for the racing copy a unique engine with a capacity of 300 horsepower. The car took part in the race for the McLaren team. A little later, the car replaced the old model in the team of racers from BMW.

In addition to the standard version of the two-door coupe, the model was produced in the version of the cabriolet. However, this option became limited and did not receive recognition of the automobile community. In 1983, the production of the coupe was completed. During the time spent on the conveyor, the machine received 8 engine modifications, which will be described a little later.

Indexing the BMW 3 Series

With the advent of this coupe in 1975, the company "BMW" introduced a new indexation for its model range. From now on all cars were distributed in series. The full index consisted of three digits. The first digit means belonging to the series (in this case "3"). The following figures indicate the volume of the engine. For example, model 320 is a compartment of the third series with a two-liter motor under the hood.

Appearance of classics

The body shape has not changed much since the release of Neue Klasse. The features remained recognizable, but the changes are hidden in detail. Let's start the car inspection from the front.

On the "BMW E21" left the usual round optics. The turners moved slightly and changed the shape: now they are located vertically, on the side of each headlight. The radiator grill was also subjected to changes . Now only two central sections were allocated with a chrome frame. Rear optics has changed completely. The round headlights were replaced by rectangular ones. The bumper and lining on the body did not change radically.

Salon

In the cabin "BMW E21" everything is rather meager. Interior decoration almost completely moved to a novelty from the previous model. From the start of production and until 1981, BMW fitted the model with only one option for trim and trim. After 1981 and the appearance in the list of modifications of the new 6-cylinder engine, the car's creators offered customers a new interior trim and equipment.

"BMW E21": specifications

For the entire time of production of this car more than 8 modifications were published. The first model of the series was the 315 with a 1.6-liter unit and 75 horsepower under the hood. Based on this engine, the company produced 316 "three", in which there were forced 90 horsepower.

In 1981, the first injection engines began to appear. The engine with a volume of 1.8 liters and a capacity of 105 horsepower received a new modification of the 318i. The most powerful version of the BMW 3 Series was equipped with a 2.3-liter engine with 125 horsepower. This car accelerates to 100 km / h in just 9.5 seconds, which is an incredible indicator for the serial city coupe in the 1980s. The fuel consumption for all modifications is between 9-10 liters per 100 kilometers. The car is exclusively rear-wheel drive and was produced only with a mechanical gearbox.

Competitors

During the production of this model of competitors in the class of rear-wheel drive coupe for all was not so much. Basically, they were colleagues in the shop from other German automakers. For the influence in the market struggled such cars as "Opel Ascona", "Volkswagen Jetta" and "Opel Manta". But the main rival was always considered "Audi 80".

"BMW E21", tuning which is popular so far among connoisseurs of automotive classics, has become a real icon and era. In 1985, the model "E30" replaced the 21st body. For the entire time of release more than 1 million 300 thousand copies have left the assembly line.