BMW Dreier E21
(1975 - 1983)
BMW Dreier E21: All 13 models
Car articles about BMW Dreier E21 by year
The BMW 3 Series got off to a good start despite higher prices and respectable competition. The overall shape of the BMW 3 Series met with approval; they were simply enthusiasts' cars with a good brand reputation. With a handy format and a magnificent engine, the BMW 320 was a gourmet car, more fun than a family car. This test report from back then describes its qualities.
For use in the new Group 5, BMW built a new racing car based on the E21 series saloon in 1976/1977, which could be equipped with a naturally aspirated or turbocharged engine. The two-liter 300 hp naturally aspirated version became the base vehicle for the BMW Junior Team in the 1977 German Racing Championship. This report describes the vehicle used at the time and shows current and historical pictures of the car and the technical components used.
In 1977, the BMW Juniors were shaking up the small division of the German Racing Championship with their new BMW 320 Group 5. Established stars had to fight tooth and nail to keep the fast young drivers in check. In this article, Marc Surer tells us how things went back then, illustrated with pictures of a demonstration drive on the 320 Group 5 in 1977 and historical racing pictures from the time.
Volkswagen Jetta GLI, BMW 320/6 and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta were among the favorites of performance-hungry and sporty family dads around four decades ago. Even today, these practical and well-engined saloons can still impress if you can find them. This driving report compares the sports saloons of the time and shows them in many pictures.
BMW never built a convertible version of the E21 (316 to 323i) in series production. Naturally, the body company Baur was happy to fill the gap and offered the open-top 3-series variant called TC1 for all engine versions. Almost 4600 units were built up to 1982, most of them equipped with a six-cylinder engine. This report is about a rare four-cylinder hardtop convertible and explores the question of whether it is possible to have less convertible fun in the TC1 with two cylinders.
Between 1975 and 1982, BMW built the first three-series, known internally as the E21. Almost 1.4 million units produced speak for themselves. From 1977, the top model was the 323i, which, with 143 hp from 2.3 liters, could also be a threat to sports cars of the time. In this report, we travel thirty years into the past and let ourselves be enchanted by the turbine-like running of the BMW in-line six-cylinder engine in its most powerful form. Many old and current pictures as well as an extensive sales brochure complete the journey through time.
The new Ford Sierra XR4i raised an often-asked question again 40 years ago: Who builds the best family-friendly sports sedan? A comparison test with the still freshly christened Alfa Romeo GTV6 and BMW 323i was intended to answer this question. This article reproduces the original wording from back then, supplemented by historical images and sales literature of the three rivals.
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All 13 BMW Dreier E21 models
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