1600-2002 – 1966 to 1976

In the early 1960s, BMW – having steered itself from near bankruptcy with the 1500 – decided it needed a smaller family saloon and launched the iconic 1600-2002 series.

This small family runabout was a big hit for the German carmaker and featured an 80bhp engine with performance figures to match today’s city cars – the 80bhp BMW 1600 could hit 60mph in 13 seconds, which is faster than a 1-litre Toyota Aygo.

And the 02-series of cars included the legendary BMW 2002 Turbo, packing a 170bhp engine which was the first European production turbocharged powerplant.

BMW rolled out thousands until its end in 1976 – but what they unveiled to the world’s press at the Olympic Stadium in Munich in 1975 as its replacement would amaze even BMW itself…

E21 BMW 3 Series – 1976 to 1982

And so the car which redefined the compact saloon segment is born.

The early BMW 3 Series models had 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre powerplants, but thanks to the car’s low weight of just 1,010kgs – little more than a Lotus Elise – it ensured a lively drive.

The BMW 320i was the ‘halo’ launch model and featured a four-cylinder engine delivering 125bhp, coupled to independent suspension which began the 3 Series’ legendary handling attributes.

BMW injected a serious dose of horsepower at the 1977 Frankfurt motor show with the all-new BMW 323i – the first of the six-cylinder engines.

The six-cylinder BMW 323i produced 143bhp and had state-of-the-art electronics, helping to deliver an average of 21mpg.

And BMW was amazed at the car’s rapid success – when production ended in 1982, more than one million baby Beemer’s had been sold.

E30 BMW 3 Series – 1983 to 1990

Bigger, better and with more BHP – the second generation BMW 3 Series picked up the baton and sprinted off the radar.

The new 3 was lighter than its predecessor, but featured more interior space and a range of more powerful engines, including the range-topping BMW 325i.

The silky-smooth straight-six cylinder 2.5-litre unit developed 171bhp – just 50bhp less than a 2008 BMW 325i two-door coupe – and topped out at 135mph.

But the best was yet to come… at the Frankfurt motor show in 1985, BMW pulled the wraps off the very first M-powered 3 Series – the E30 BMW M3.

This was the car which established BMW’s reputation as the manufacturer of driver’s cars; the car which won every single Touring car championship in the world in the late 1980s; the car which is the benchmark – even today – for every small sports saloon in the world.

The ultimate version – the M3 Sport Evolution – is powered by a 238bhp 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, sprinting to 60mph in just over six seconds.

More than two million E30 BMW 3 Series were produced during the car’s production run.

Read the complete guide to the BMW M3

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E36 BMW 3 Series – 1990 to 1998

The third-generation BMW 3 Series – codenamed ‘E36’ – was another massive seller for the Munich-based carmaker.

The car’s design saw huge improvements in engineering and chassis development, with BMW showcasing the newest incarnation of its famous ‘Z’ rear-axle setup.

A host of bodystyles were launched, including the ‘Touring’ estate, convertible, and four-door, while the two-door model was now badged as a ‘coupe’, marking the subtle styling differences.

But keen drivers were waiting for the hardcore M3 to be reborn in a newer, fresher body – and in 1992 BMW rolled out the new BMW M3 coupe.

The old 2.5-litre four-cylinder motor had been junked in favour of a high-revving 3-litre straight-six engine developing 286bhp.

And in 1995, the company rolled out the most potent M3 of this generation – the M3 Evolution, which came with a 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine developing 321bhp. This meant the new M3 could sprint from 0-60mph in around 5.4 seconds and bounce off the 155mph speed limiter.

And while this M3 may have lacked the racing pedigree of the original, it was a hit with buyers. More than 2.7 million E36 3 Series were sold, and of these, 70,000 were M3s.

E46 BMW 3 Series – 1998 to 2005

This generation of 3 Series boasted a full 12cm of extra legroom than the original E21 model and continued the massive success of the model in this segment – more than three million E46 BMW 3 Series have found homes.

Offered initially with a range of four cylinder engines and the super-smooth straight-six cylinder units – including the 325i and the 328i – the new BMW 3 Series was the car for every season.

And the British public lapped it up – this generation famously outsold the Ford Mondeo, and firmly establishing this car as the one to beat.

But more importantly, the E46 generation BMW 3 Series proved the power of diesel to the world.

The BMW 330d packed 184bhp while still delivering more than 40mpg on the combined cycle – making this a proper diesel-engined performance saloon.

And the 320d – which features a 150bhp 2-litre diesel engine – overtook the 318i as the biggest selling BMW in the range.

But driving enthusiasts disappointed with the E36 M3 were waiting… in 2000, BMW rolled out the newest incarnation of the M3 – and the sportscar world was given a new hero.

The E46-model BMW M3 features a 3.2-litre straight-six unit developing 343bhp – enough to propel the road rocket from 0-60mph in around five seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph.

In 2003, BMW went one step further to produce arguably the closest homage to the original E30 BMW M3 – the 360bhp M3 CSL.

Spectacular diesels for under £10,000

Look at the Wheels on That: BMW M3 CSL

E90 BMW 3 Series – 2005 to date

Ten million cars since 1975; the benchmark car in its segment; the world’s most sought after sports saloons and coupes – the BMW 3 Series has become the standard by which all other small saloons are judged.

And in 2005, the hotly anticipated fifth generation BMW 3 Series rolled off the Munich production line.

The new BMW 3 Series – codenamed ‘E90’ – features ultra-sharp handling and class-leading driving dynamics.

And the new generation of diesel and petrol powerplants are worlds away from the 3 Series’ humble beginnings.

The new 3-litre petrol unit develops 272bhp and accelerates the BMW 330i Sport from 0-62mph in just 6.1 seconds.

And the new BMW 335d – which uses a twin-turbocharged 3-litre diesel engine – churns out 286bhp, which equals the E36 BMW M3, while still returning 42.2mpg on the combined cycle.

But with the new E90 generation BMW M3, the German firm has produced a V8-masterpiece.

The new BMW M3 shuns the old straight-sixes favoured by Munich, and uses an all-new 4-litre V8 engine constructed from aluminium.

The result is 420bhp and 0-62mph in just 4.8 seconds, making this the fastest and most powerful production M3 ever.

Hot new BMW M3 saloon - first pics

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