BMW M GmbH celebrates 30 years with 300,000 vehicles

Only within recent times have the American and Japanese car manufacturers finally started to show the same intensity for performance oriented cars as the Europeans.

BMW takes the opportunity to reminds us that their tradition of sporty dynamic vehicles goes back much further. Marked by the production of the 300,000th M model with the delivery of an "Alpine White" BMW M3 Coupe to a customer in Regensburg, BMW M GmbH celebrates their 30th anniversary.

Starting with the establishment of BMW Motorsport GmbH in 1972, it wasn't until six years later that the limited edition M1 sports car - featuring a mid-engine straight six-cylinder engine - was produced in 1978 with the purpose of motorsports homologation.

Then in 1984, BMW M GmbH established a new corporate philosophy - the development of high-performance automobiles suitable for everyday road use. Distinguished by discreet aesthetics and motorsports influenced suspension technology, the first of these “everyday” performance car was the BMW M5 with 286bhp straight six engine. The M5 sports sedan found itself attracted by businessmen for its performance and understated appearance.

Two years later in 1986, BMW M GmbH produced the M3. Since then, the M3 model in all of its variants account for the largest portion of BMW M GmbH overall vehicle sales.

Currently, there are 9 models in the BMW M GmbH range and sales of all BMW M models continue to rise with each new generation. The USA is the most important market for BMW M automobiles. In Europe, highest demand for the high-performance sports cars are in the UK, Germany and Italy.

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