First introduced as the 1602 in 1966, it led to the first 3-series in 1975, which went on to become the most successful model in the BMW lineup up until then. North American sales for model year 1982 came close to 35,000 units )2/3 BMW’s total) with world wide production over its lifetime of 1.3 million cars. After this obvious success, BMW was understandably reluctant to fool too much with the formula; the new car was evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
According to BMW research, the foremost reason for purchase of a BMW was quality, followed by engineering and handling. Based on this understanding of the Bimmer buyer, the corporate design objectives for the new 3-series were established. To continue the quality concept, the BMW image was protected in all visual areas; the twin kidney grilles, quad round headlights, hood sculpture lines and emblem, and side body lines remained as the key visual indicators of the vehicles heritage. The treatment for the new front end incorporated the parking lights in the front bumper, rounds off the fender contours, adds an air dam/spoiler that contains brake air ducts and optional fog lights, and integrated the bumper into the total system. These changes were subtle and only close inspection differentiates the 1983 nose from the 1982 320i’s, which illustrated BMW’s concern with maintaining the old car’s highly salable image.
What Junkies are Saying