BMW 520 (Series 1: 1972-1976), BMW 520 (Series 2: 1976-1981) and BMW 528i (Series 3: 1982-1985) © BMW AG, Munich

In the year 1968 BMW started to develop the successor for the four-door model range (BMW 1800, BMW 2000). This project was designated E12 internally - the "E" stands for development and the number 12 represents number of the project. The "new" BMW wasn't called, as of the press before assumed BMW 2004, but BMW 520 - speak five-twenty. BMW designed thereby a new way of their model designation. The BMW 5 series was introduced at September, 13th in 1972 to the public. The new 5 series should show the center of the BMW product range, therefore BMW selected the number 5. The 20 behind it displays the capacity of the engine - in this case the 2-liter carburetor engine. The BMW product program was supplemented downwards with the BMW 3 series (E21) and upward by BMW 7 series (E23).

In 1976 some car magazines reported of the preparation of a new BMW 5 series-coupé. This coupé was later introduced as BMW 6 series (E24). After the company holidays in the same year the BMW 5 series got a facelift. The kidney was integrated into the scoop and larger tail lamps marked the second series. During the productiontime the BMW 5 serie was extended by many engine and equipment variants: beginning with a 1,8-liter carburetor engine raising up to a 3,5-liter fuel injection engine. BMW decided against a Diesel engine in the 1970ies, because Diesel wasn't associated with high performance. In 1981 BMW introdued the successorof the BMW 5 series (E28), but the time of the pretty sedans didn't run off.

The BMW E12 got a renaissance in South Africa. In order to built up capacities for the introduction of the BMW 3 series (E30), the old 5 series was modified a little bit and bulit further starting from 1982. For these cars, called E12/8, BMW put the interior of the new BMW E28 into the older body of E12. The very last E12 was built at September, 5th in 1985 at Rossly production line. For further details of the model variants and production numbers please take a look at following table. For comprehensive information all around this model range please visit the specialist website www.e12.de. Between 1972 and 1985 BMW built exactly 722,435 BMW E12 worldwide.

Ulrich Thieme
Webmaster www.e12.de

Model	Number of cars	CKD's	Sum D	E12/8	Sum D + SA
518	120,377	11,904	132,281	0	132,281
518i	3,015	0	3,015	10,788	13,803
520	243,529	34,000	277,529	0	277,529
520i	25,156	0	25,156	6,216	31,472
525	122,272	6,084	128,356	0	128,356
528	30,565	2,556	33,121	0	33,121
528i	65,736	4,380	70,116	4,680	74,796
530i	28,111	0	28,111	0	28,111
M535i	1,410	240	1,650	1,416	3,066
	640,171	59,164	699,335	23,100	722,435

© www.e12.de