Modelyear 1977 (Series 2), © BMW AG

The following pages show you information about the BMW 5 Seriesr (E12), manufactured in Germany. The places of production are Munich and Dingolfing from 1973 onwards. In September 1972 BMW presented its new BMW 5 Series to the public. This series was placed in the middle of the other series between BMW 02 and the big sedans (BMW E3), later BMW E23. They used the Olympic Games in Munich to presentate a bigger audience. In September 1976 the BMW 5 Series got a facelift. They adapted the new Design of BMW's 3 Series (BMW E21). These later BMW E12 vehicles are called Series 2 at the following pages. Until 1981 BMW manufactured the BMW E12 shape in Germany. In September BMW replaced the 1. Generation of its BMW 5 Series by the BMW E28.

Equipment and performance data for each models are listed in detail on these pages. Caused by local laws and restrictions in the US, Japan and Sweden BMW offered modified models of the BMW 5 Series . These weren't available in Germany. The US models are separately described.

In this chapter you also get an overview of all available paintworks and all upholstery seections. Also all equipments are specified in detail. The production statistics are added here. Please be not surprised to find on this website deviating production numbers. Journalists usually refer to the official BMW production statistics. With the examination of the BMW statistics I could determine an little error. Thus the BMW statistics must be corrected with 241 vehicles to the total number by 640,171 vehicles upward. BMW produced also 59,164 kits (CKD), which were intended for foreign production. The most was intended for South Africa (53,248). After that 3,780 for Thailand, 780 sets for Indonesia, 696 CKD's for Portugal and 660 of them for Uruguay. For more information please have a view at the chapter BMW CKD. Altogether that results in the sum of 699,335 BMW E12 vehicles which were produced in Germany. In this number the 23,100 BMW E12/8 of the South African production beginning with 1982 are not included. They were manufactured without BMW Munich's production lines.


BMW Production location Germany: Factory 1.1 Munich and Factory 2.4 Dingolfing (beginning in 1973). Map dated 1975, © www.e12.de