View to Neuss with Rhine river in the foreground, 2008-05, © www.e12.de

Hi, My name is Ulrich Thieme. I was born in Cologne, just one year and one day before the official presentation of the new BMW 520. My profession is to work for an IT company. There I support the software systems of a big German bank.
Since I was a little child cars were fascinating for me. But it took several years, until I could realize the dream of an own car. My BMW E12 story began, after a girlfriend offered her father's BMW 520 to me. At that time I was driving a small French car and a BMW seemed to be out of the range what I could afford. But the price was attractive and I took the option to have a look at it. In a very small garage I checked the car. But after I sit in the car, I felt a "click" inside. Everything was at the right place and I was familiar with the car immediately. At the test drive problems with the Stromberg carburettors were obviously, but I bought the car. At that time, people asked me, if I borrowed my father's car. But that changed with the years. Colleagues asked me, if I don't want to buy a modern car. But today the people changed their mind again. They appreciate the age of the car and other drivers show the thumb up sign often ...
At the time, when I bought my first BMW 5 Series, there were not many of the first generation on the road anymore. At the beginning I started looking for advertisements in old magazines and collected them. By the time my archive was getting more and more comprehensive. I also met a lot of BMW friends during my search. In the year 1998 this website went online. It offered the possibility to get in touch with BMW E12 friends all around the world. But the world of BMW E12 drivers is small - you could say it is a small family.


The BMW E12: At home on all road of the world. Driving with a BMW 520 through Uruguay, 2010-01, © www.e12.de

Who has looked around on this website could believe, that I've collected nearly everything of the topic BMW E12. But the reality differs from that. All the time I discover new things for my collection. It is always exciting for me to discover new brochures or pictures. There are many road reports, but there are many things, which were not documented and are on the best way to get forgotten.
Nearly forgotten was the history of the BMW 5 Series in South Africa and almost nobody knew anything about it. Here from Germany I had no possibility to get knowledge about it. So I travelled to South Africa and started my investigations there. Altogether more that half a year took the discovery. The result of my expeditions you'll get in the chapter "The BMW E12 Range" in the subchapter "BMW South Africa". Also nearly unknown were the CKD-Productions of Southern America, Western Europe, and Asia. There I also made researches.
If you got information or stuff of BMW E12, you are welcome to contact me. I also like to take pictures of your BMW E12. Have a frequently look at my website www.e12.de. New stuff will be added continuously. I'm happy to see you again on this website.

Here are my contact details:
Fliederweg 3
DE-50259 Pulheim

e-Mail: u2021@e12.de