BMW 5 Series (E12)
Encyclopedia
The BMW E12 BMW 5-Series was made between 1972 and 1981. The E12 was the first series to bear the 5 Series name: the '5' denoting BMW's fifth 'New Class' platform. Designed as a replacement for the popular BMW New Class
mid-size sedan, the E12 5-Series models were smaller than the large BMW E3 sedan but larger than the two-door 2002
models. The E12 was replaced by the BMW E28
5 Series in 1981, although production continued until 1984 in South Africa
.
set the style for the E12 5-series. Designed to compete with the Mercedes-Benz W114
sedans, the E12 models were fitted with a variety of engines. 1.8 L and 2.0 L M10
I4 engines from the older Neue Klasse sedans were used in the 518 and 520, respectively. A six-cylinder version of the 520, built with a 2.0 L M20
belt-driven engine was also available from 1977 on (to coincide with the minor restyling). The 525i, 528i, 530i, and M535i, were fitted with M30
six-cylinder engines as used on the large E3 sedans and E9 coupes. With the exception of the 520i, four-cylinder and 2.0 L six-cylinder engines were fitted with Solex carburetors (although in the UK the four-cylinder 520 was fitted with twin Stromberg 175CDET carburettors). The 520i used the mechanical fuel injection system from the BMW 2000tii and BMW 2002tii
. Six-cylinder versions were available with dual Zenith two-barrel carburetors or Bosch L-jetronic fuel injection. Fuel-injected models contain the i letter at the end of their model badge. Although BMW had always located turn signal stalks on the right hand side of its steering wheels, the E12 was their first model to have the stalk on the left side.
With the introduction of the BMW E23
large sedan in 1977, the E12 received a minor re-styling. The rear-mounted gasoline filler door was relocated to the side of the car and the taillights were widened. The hood, originally designed to clear the large air filter assembly for cars fitted with dual Zenith carburetors, was redesigned to a give a 'power bulge', and the dashboard ventilation was repositioned to improve air distribution.
division ever produced.
Due to high import duties in South Africa, BMW sent E12 cars as complete knock down (CKD) kits to be assembled in South Africa for its own market. An E12/8 was built in the South Africa market just as the new E28
body replaced the E12 elsewhere. The E12/8 was essentially an E12 body fitted with the E28
suspension, electronics and interior.
On the Belgian market, there was a BMW 518 “deluxe” version. Only one thousand of these cars have been sold. It was a BMW 518 equipped as the 528i top model plus other luxury items such as headrests on the back seats. It was rumored that this special version was produced for the Iranian government, as a car for top officials under the shah
’s rule. Due to the Iranian revolution
these cars were never delivered. Instead, they have been sold as a special version in Belgium.
The Portuguese market also received nearly 700 CKD units due to the local regulations that demanded a certain amount of vehicles sold in Portugal to be locally assembled.
air conditioner that was notorious for being too weak for American temperatures. A well-known legend is that, in an attempt to convince BMW that a better air conditioner was needed, two BMW engineers were treated to a long trip to Texas
in the rear seat of a black BMW 530i with the power windows disabled.
BMW chose to sell only fuel-injected six-cylinder versions of the E12 in the American market: the 530i and later the 528i. The American market imposed several restrictions such as bumper regulations, sealed-beam headlights, and emissions requirements. As such, American-market E12s were fitted with lower compression pistons, special larger bumpers designed to withstand a 5 mi/h collision with no body damage, and fender-mounted front turn signals. Emissions equipment such as EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) and an air pump were used on the 530i, along with modified exhaust manifolds called Thermal Reactors. The latter caused several engine problems including burned exhaust valves and overheating, often resulting in warped or cracked cylinder heads. A separate defect in the 530i cylinder head design prompted a lawsuit against BMW. As a result, in 1980 BMW offered replacement cylinder heads for owners whose cylinder heads had cracked, even if the warranty on the car had expired. In 1979 the 528i replaced the 530i. The new model featured several improvements for the American market: the Thermal Reactor and air pump system were replaced with a 3-way catalytic converter
and the car's Bosch L-jetronic fuel injection system was now fitted with an Exhaust Gas Oxygen sensor
. For the 1980 model year, a 5-speed manual transmission replaced the previous 4-speed.
BMW New Class
The BMW New Class was a line of compact sedans and coupes produced by German automaker BMW starting with the 1962 1500 and continuing through the last 2002s in 1977....
mid-size sedan, the E12 5-Series models were smaller than the large BMW E3 sedan but larger than the two-door 2002
BMW New Class
The BMW New Class was a line of compact sedans and coupes produced by German automaker BMW starting with the 1962 1500 and continuing through the last 2002s in 1977....
models. The E12 was replaced by the BMW E28
BMW E28
The BMW E28 BMW 5-Series was made between 1981 and 1988. It replaced the BMW E12 in 1981 and was replaced by the BMW E34 in 1989.E28 Production started in July 1981 and ended in December 1987...
5 Series in 1981, although production continued until 1984 in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Styling and features
The 1970 BMW 2200ti Garmisch show car designed by the Bertone Design Centre led by Marcello GandiniMarcello Gandini
Marcello Gandini is an Italian car designer, widely known for his work with the automotive design house Gruppo Bertone, notably his design of the Lamborghini Countach. Together with Giorgetto Giugiaro and Leonardo Fioravanti, Gandini forms a noted triumvirate of Italian car designers, all born in...
set the style for the E12 5-series. Designed to compete with the Mercedes-Benz W114
Mercedes-Benz W114
The Mercedes-Benz W114 and W115 models are a series of coupes and sedans introduced in 1968 by Mercedes-Benz, manufactured through model year 1976, and distinguished in the marketplace by nameplates designating their engines....
sedans, the E12 models were fitted with a variety of engines. 1.8 L and 2.0 L M10
BMW M10
The BMW M10/M12 was a straight-4 piston engine produced from 1961 to 1987. Displacement ranged from 1499 cc to 1990 cc.The engine was designed by noted engineer and race driver Baron Alex von Falkenhausen. He was asked to design a small-displacement engine, but felt that this would be...
I4 engines from the older Neue Klasse sedans were used in the 518 and 520, respectively. A six-cylinder version of the 520, built with a 2.0 L M20
BMW M20
The M20 is an inline-6 piston engine by BMW.Initially designated M60, the 12-valve, belt driven SOHC design was introduced in the 1977 BMW 520/6 and 320/6 as an entirely new design. With displacements ranging from 2.0 to 2.7 liters, it was the "little brother" to the larger BMW M30 engine. It had ...
belt-driven engine was also available from 1977 on (to coincide with the minor restyling). The 525i, 528i, 530i, and M535i, were fitted with M30
BMW M30
The BMW M30 is an inline-6 cylinder engine built by BMW and was used in many different models since 1968. It was originally developed in the late 1960s as an extended 2.5-liter version of the robust inline four-cylinder BMW M10 first used in the 'Neue Klasse' BMW 1500, with which it shares a...
six-cylinder engines as used on the large E3 sedans and E9 coupes. With the exception of the 520i, four-cylinder and 2.0 L six-cylinder engines were fitted with Solex carburetors (although in the UK the four-cylinder 520 was fitted with twin Stromberg 175CDET carburettors). The 520i used the mechanical fuel injection system from the BMW 2000tii and BMW 2002tii
BMW 2002tii
The BMW 2002tii was the high performance, fuel injected, limited edition of BMW's 2002 automobile model line. It was a two door sports sedan based on the four door BMW 1500 of 1961.-Background:...
. Six-cylinder versions were available with dual Zenith two-barrel carburetors or Bosch L-jetronic fuel injection. Fuel-injected models contain the i letter at the end of their model badge. Although BMW had always located turn signal stalks on the right hand side of its steering wheels, the E12 was their first model to have the stalk on the left side.
 |
With the introduction of the BMW E23
BMW E23
The BMW E23 is the first BMW 7 Series luxury car, produced by the German automaker BMW. Replacing the BMW E3 large sedan, the E23 was produced for ten years from 1977 to 1987 and was replaced by the BMW E32 7 Series in 1986.-Design and features:...
large sedan in 1977, the E12 received a minor re-styling. The rear-mounted gasoline filler door was relocated to the side of the car and the taillights were widened. The hood, originally designed to clear the large air filter assembly for cars fitted with dual Zenith carburetors, was redesigned to a give a 'power bulge', and the dashboard ventilation was repositioned to improve air distribution.
Special models
Several low-production versions of the E12 were built. In 1978, the Motorsport 533i was produced for a short time in the German market featuring a 3.2L engine. The M535i, featuring a 3.5L engine with special styling such as Motorsport front and rear spoilers, Recaro-brand sport seats, a close-ratio transmission and limited-slip differential, larger brakes, and other styling cues such as Motorsport striping down the sides of the car and on the front airdam, was available between 1979 and 1981 with 1410 cars produced. In South Africa, the 530 MLE was produced as a light-weight homologation special for racing. These Motorsport E12's are often considered the first production models that the BMW MotorsportBMW Motorsport
BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
division ever produced.
Due to high import duties in South Africa, BMW sent E12 cars as complete knock down (CKD) kits to be assembled in South Africa for its own market. An E12/8 was built in the South Africa market just as the new E28
BMW E28
The BMW E28 BMW 5-Series was made between 1981 and 1988. It replaced the BMW E12 in 1981 and was replaced by the BMW E34 in 1989.E28 Production started in July 1981 and ended in December 1987...
body replaced the E12 elsewhere. The E12/8 was essentially an E12 body fitted with the E28
BMW E28
The BMW E28 BMW 5-Series was made between 1981 and 1988. It replaced the BMW E12 in 1981 and was replaced by the BMW E34 in 1989.E28 Production started in July 1981 and ended in December 1987...
suspension, electronics and interior.
On the Belgian market, there was a BMW 518 “deluxe” version. Only one thousand of these cars have been sold. It was a BMW 518 equipped as the 528i top model plus other luxury items such as headrests on the back seats. It was rumored that this special version was produced for the Iranian government, as a car for top officials under the shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
’s rule. Due to the Iranian revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
these cars were never delivered. Instead, they have been sold as a special version in Belgium.
The Portuguese market also received nearly 700 CKD units due to the local regulations that demanded a certain amount of vehicles sold in Portugal to be locally assembled.
American-market models
The American market E12 differed in several ways from the original German market versions. American-market E12s in the later years were generally sold as 'upscale' models and as such they were fitted with power windows, wood trim, and usually leather interiors and air conditioning as standard. The E12 5-series used a BehrBehr GmbH & Co. KG
Behr GmbH & Co. KG is a German corporation active in the automobile industry, headquartered in Stuttgart-Feuerbach. It is a specialist for automotive air conditioning and engine cooling systems. In 2006 group sales was €3.2 billion and it employed 18,600 staff....
air conditioner that was notorious for being too weak for American temperatures. A well-known legend is that, in an attempt to convince BMW that a better air conditioner was needed, two BMW engineers were treated to a long trip to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the rear seat of a black BMW 530i with the power windows disabled.
BMW chose to sell only fuel-injected six-cylinder versions of the E12 in the American market: the 530i and later the 528i. The American market imposed several restrictions such as bumper regulations, sealed-beam headlights, and emissions requirements. As such, American-market E12s were fitted with lower compression pistons, special larger bumpers designed to withstand a 5 mi/h collision with no body damage, and fender-mounted front turn signals. Emissions equipment such as EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) and an air pump were used on the 530i, along with modified exhaust manifolds called Thermal Reactors. The latter caused several engine problems including burned exhaust valves and overheating, often resulting in warped or cracked cylinder heads. A separate defect in the 530i cylinder head design prompted a lawsuit against BMW. As a result, in 1980 BMW offered replacement cylinder heads for owners whose cylinder heads had cracked, even if the warranty on the car had expired. In 1979 the 528i replaced the 530i. The new model featured several improvements for the American market: the Thermal Reactor and air pump system were replaced with a 3-way catalytic converter
Catalytic converter
A catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
and the car's Bosch L-jetronic fuel injection system was now fitted with an Exhaust Gas Oxygen sensor
Oxygen sensor
An oxygen sensor, or lambda sensor, is an electronic device that measures the proportion of oxygen in the gas or liquid being analyzed. It was developed by the Robert Bosch GmbH company during the late 1960s under the supervision of Dr. Günter Bauman...
. For the 1980 model year, a 5-speed manual transmission replaced the previous 4-speed.
Models
The following models were produced in this series:| Model | Engine | Power | Torque | Built | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS | kW | hp | at rpm | N·m | lbf·ft | at rpm | |||
| 518 | 1766 cc I-4 | 90 PS | 5500 | 142 N.m | 3500 | 1974−1981 | |||
| 520 | 1990 cc I-4 | 115 PS | 5800 | 162 N.m | 3700 | 1972−1977 | |||
| 520i | 1990 cc I-4 | 130 PS | 5800 | 177 N.m | 4500 | 1972−1975 | |||
| 125 PS | 5700 | 171 N.m | 4350 | 1975−1977 | |||||
| 520/6 | 1990 cc I-6 Straight-6 The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase... |
122 PS | 6000 | 160 N.m | 4000 | 1977−1981 | |||
| 525 | 2494 cc I-6 | 145 PS | 6000 | 208 N.m | 4000 | 1973−1976 | |||
| 150 PS | 5800 | 208 N.m | 4000 | 1976−1981 | |||||
| 528 | 2788 cc I-6 | 165 PS | 5800 | 253 N.m | 4000 | 1975−1976 | |||
| 170 PS | 5800 | 253 N.m | 4000 | 1976−1978 | |||||
| 528i | 2788 cc I-6 | 176 PS | 5800 | 235 N.m | 4300 | 1977−1978 | |||
| 184 PS | 5800 | 235 N.m | 4200 | 1978−1981 | |||||
| 528i (NA) | 2788 cc I-6 | 171 | 126 | 169 | 5500 | 230 | 170 | 4500 | Model Year 1979−1981 |
| 530 (ZA) | 2985 cc I-6 | 177 PS | 5800 | 250 N.m | 3500 | South Africa only 197?−198? |
|||
| 530i | 2985 cc I-6 | 178 | 131 | 176 | 5500 | 251 | 185 | 4500 | North America only Model Year 1975−1978 |
| 530 MLE | 2985 cc I-6 | 203 | 147 | 200 | 5800 | 251 | 185 | 4300 | South Africa only 1976 |
| 533i | 1979 | ||||||||
| M535i | 3430 cc I-6 | 218 PS | 5200 | 310 N.m | 4000 | 1979−1981 | |||