Why is there actually no E15 from BMW?
11/21/2025
We know the E3, the E21 or the E30 from BMW, i.e. the big sedan, the first and the second three. And many other E-numbers are also known. In fact, BMW has hardly left out a low number.
But hardly anyone can remember an E15. It's not entirely clear whether there really was a car that BMW called "E15". Wikipedia mentions a plastic coupé under "E15", which was derived as a prototype from the E3 saloon. We have not found a picture.
In any case, the E15 cannot be the better-known BMW Spicup (pictured above), which Bertone presented at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show. Although the Spicup was also based on the 2800 six-cylinder E3 saloon, it was not a classic coupé and the body was not made of plastic. Perhaps a reader knows more?
Incidentally, the number 15 later found its way into the BMW model series nomenclature. After all, the third generation of the X5 SUV is called the F15.
P.S. And why does it have to be "15"? Well, we're celebrating the 15th birthday of Zwischengas on November 23, 2025, so we thought about articles with "15" in them. We have already published articles on the Lotus 15 and the Jaguar XJR-15 this week to mark the same occasion. An article on the Renault 15 will follow shortly ...
