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Production chronology1994–2004
Sourced production or model lifecycle range used by the main catalog timeline.
Wikipedia lead ↗11 years
← BMW
BMW / Model record
BMWCompact
Production1994–2004
Recorded originGermany
ClassCompact car
Background
The BMW 3 Series Compact is a car which was produced from 1994 through 2004 by BMW. It is a 3-door hatchback version of the BMW 3 Series through two generations, for the E36 platform in 1993 and E46 platform in 2001. Unlike most hatchback competitors, which were transverse engine front-wheel drive, the 3 Series Compact uses the longitudinal engine rear-wheel drive layout.
Text adapted from “BMW 3 Series Compact” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07
Chronology ledger
Dates with their meaning intact
Netherlands RDW first-admission observations1994–2003
First-admission years observed in Dutch vehicle registrations; this is market evidence, not a worldwide production range.
Netherlands RDW ↗10 years