The BMW E12 was presented in 1972 in Munich, the year the famous four-cylinder BMW headquarters were inaugurated. It soon became known in Germany as the 5, an expression that was to become the basis for the hierarchy of BMW models. The result of 4 years of preparation, the 5 Series E12 was marketed until 1981. It came with a 2.0-litre in-line 4-cylinder engine developing 130bhp. Two years before production ceased, in 1979, BMW Motorsport unveiled the M 535i. A sports model of the BMW E21 and forerunner of the M5, it developed 218bhp. 1981 saw the birth of the successor to the E21 model, the BMW E28. Although it differed aesthetically only in its bumpers and larger round lights, it nevertheless marked a change by adopting a 2.4-litre, 115bhp turbo diesel engine in addition to the petrol unit. This model is also the origin of the first M5, a name that evokes today's sporting references. This first model was equipped with a 3.5-litre in-line 6-cylinder engine producing 286bhp, making it the fastest saloon in the world at the time!
