BMW Australia to introduce special edition model to celebrate 50th anniversary of the BMW 3 Series

BMW Australia today announced the launch of a special edition model to mark the 50^th anniversary of the BMW 3 Series. 

The 3 Series 50 Jahre Edition, in the M340i xDrive variant, includes specification unique to the Australian and New Zealand markets. This includes BMW Individual Anthracite Metallic exterior paint – a classic hue in the history of the BMW 3 Series paint palette – and a special edition build plate located on the centre console.

Power comes from the famed 285kW BMW M TwinPower Turbo straight-six engine, coupled to an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission and xDrive.

Other elements include 19-inch M light alloy wheels finished in jet black, the M Sport Package Pro – which includes M Sport brakes in red high-gloss, M Lights Shadow Line, M seat belts, and the M rear spoiler finished in Black Sapphire paint – and carbon-fibre interior trim.

Just 50 examples of the 3 Series 50 Jahre Edition will be available in Australia, with pricing at $127,600^* and customer deliveries expected in Q4 this year.

The BMW 3 Series has a long and successful history in Australia.

It has achieved an array of both overall and class victories in Car of the Year competitions, including the Carsales’ Car of the Year title in 2019 for the current, seventh-generation 3 Series.

It also remains the highest selling BMW in the country, with more than 191,000 registrations recorded since official VFACTS records began. It holds its number one spot even with the surge in popularity of BMW Sports Activity Vehicles (SAVs) such as the BMW X5 and BMW X3 in the past two decades.

A look back at 50 years and seven generations of the BMW 3 Series

The BMW 3 Series is one of the reasons BMW has maintained its status as the leading manufacturer of premium vehicles, such is the influence it has had on the company and the industry.

An overview of the 3 Series history is outlined below, including facts and trivia, about each generation.

 E21: The foundations of a legend (1975-1983)

Engines: 1.6–2.3-litre (55–105kW), 4- & 6-cylinder
Length/width/height: 4,355mm/1,610mm/1,380mm