The BMW E30 3 Series and its M variant need no introductions, but things weren’t always like that. It took a couple of decades for the E30 to become the icon it is today and in the beginning, the legendary 3 Series we know today was just a gamble for the Munich-based automaker.
Building on the success its predecessor, the E21 regarded as the first sporty premium sedan of the brand, the E30 was launched to keep the momentum going. Luckily it had all the right ingredients to be successful- the chassis to the engines, brakes, suspension and even interior design. It wasn’t popular only back then though, even today enthusiasts flocking to its side whenever a mint model is spotted anywhere in the wild.
As for the commercial below, you can obviously see how German pedigree was marketed back then. The sound the doors make when they are closed shut – which we can actually hear without it actually being in the video – the music, the rolling shots, everything in it gives off a Hasselhoff-vibe that maybe only Germans understand. Luckily for BMW, the rest of the world wanted to understand and have this Saxon feeling as well and sales soon started showing that, despite the prices which weren’t nearly to anyone’s reach.
Looking back at the technology showcased in the commercial, even though only 30 years passed, it seems like it belongs in the stone-age compared to what BMW is working with today. And yet, the myth of German reliability was born with cars designed on 50 lbs TVs and using buttons attached to fridge-sized contraptions. It was back then when car assembly was still done by hand in certain plants and when an enthusiast could still buy a handcrafted M car.
Those were the days!
[fvplayer src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh2LdoeVEk8″ width=”640″ height=”360″]
