BMW 3 Series (1934–2025) — every.autos

BMW 3 Series — Wikimedia Commons

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Background

The BMW E21 is the first generation of the BMW 3 Series, a range of compact executive cars. The E21 was produced from June 1975 to December 1983 and replaced the BMW 02 Series. The series was exclusively built in a sporty two-door sedan / coupé body-style. Contrary to its predecessor, a 'Touring' body with a sloped rear hatch was no longer offered. Six-cylinder models were made immediately recognizable by quad round headlights, instead of the basic two.

Text adapted from “BMW 3 Series (E21)” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07

Specification

Produced: 1,354,958 units
Dimensions: 4,355 × 1,610 × 1,380 mm
Fuel: gasoline
Displacement: 1.8–2.7 L · 4/6 cyl
Fuel economy: 18–24 mpg combined — EPA 1984–1988

Still on UK roads

472,393

licensed vehicles · 2025

2014 ▼ 28% since 2014 2025

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 · DVLA VEH0124 ↗

Production years

Sources

Wikipedia ↗Wikidata ↗ WIKIDATA · DVLA · EPA

Related

Contemporaries

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Concept car · Germany

Volkswagen Beetle

Compact car · Germany

21,529,464 built

Matched on body class, era and origin from register data — never hand-picked.

Same marque

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