Manufacturer BMW Body style 4-door sedan | ||
 | ||
Production 1972–1984699,094 built Assembly West GermanySouth Africa Designer | ||
The BMW E12 is an automobile which was produced by BMW from 1972 to 1981. It was the first generation of the BMW 5 Series mid-size sedans. The E12 was released as the 520 and 520i 4-cylinder models, to replace the New Class sedans. A year later, the 525 with a straight-six engine was released and this was followed by 528, 530, 533 and 535 models.
Contents
- Styling
- Models
- 1974
- 1975
- 1976 facelift
- 1978
- 1979
- Engines
- Drivetrain
- 530530i533i535i
- 530 MLE
- North American market models
- Critical reception
- Production
- References
The E12 M535i is considered to be the predecessor to the BMW M5.
The E12 was replaced by the E28 in 1981, although E12 production continued until 1984 in South Africa.
Styling
The 1970 BMW 2200ti Garmisch show car designed by the Bertone Design Centre set the style for the E12 5-series, with the final design created by BMW designer Paul Bracq.
BMW had previously located turn signal stalks on the right hand side of the steering wheels, and the E12 was their first model to have the stalk on the left side.
Models
The following models were produced in this series:
1974
1975
1976 facelift
With the introduction of the E23 7 Series, the E12 received facelift in September 1976. The rear-mounted gasoline filler door was relocated to the side of the car and the taillights were widened. The hood was redesigned to a give a 'power bulge' which accentuated the BMW kidney grille, and the dashboard ventilation was repositioned to improve air distribution.
1978
1979
Engines
Initially, the E12 used the 1.8 L and 2.0 L M10 four-cylinder engines (from the previous New Class sedans) were used for the 518 and 520 models. The 525, 528, 530, 530i and 533i models 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 Kugelfischer 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 carry the letter i at the end of their model designation.
The 1976 facelift saw the introduction of the 520 model, which used the 2.0 L M20 6-cylinder engine and replaced the 4-cylinder 520 and 520i models. This engine was initially named "M60", but renamed the M20 in mid-1981. The four-cylinder 2.0 continued to be used in South Africa, due to local content laws. Even after the M60 entered local production in 1979, the 2-litre M10 continued to be available with "518" badges in South Africa. The 528 was replaced by the fuel-injected 528i in September 1977. The facelift also resulted in the carburettor on the 525 and 528 being revised to a single four-barrel Solex 4A1 DVG.
Drivetrain
The 4-speed manual transmission options consisted of:
The 5-speed manual transmission options consisted of:
The automatic transmission options- all 3-speed transmissions- consisted of:
530/530i/533i/535i
Beginning in 1974 the Motorsport 530 or 530i "upgrades" were available strictly on special order for the 525/528 fitted with either the 3-liter 180 PS DIN engine from the BMW 3.0S or the fuel-injected 200 PS DIN engine from the 3.0Si. Other modifications were a rear axle ratio of 3.45:1 (3.25:1 for the 530i), a 25% LSD, vented disc brakes, Bilstein shocks, Scheel or Recaro sports seats, a sports steering wheel, light alloy wheels on lower profile tyres plus optional (often omitted) front-rear air-dams/spoilers.
Later, the similar Motorsport 533i and 535i packages were available for the 528i but featuring the 3.2L and 3.5L engines from the 633CSi and 635CSi. Finally the readily available "official" Motorsport version 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 air-dam plus the BMW M1 steering wheel was available between 1980 and 1981 with 1410 cars produced.
530 MLE
In South Africa, the 530 MLE was produced as a light-weight homologation special for racing (218 made in total).
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.
North American-market models
The North American market E12 differed in several ways from the original German market versions. North 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 Behr 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 North 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 mph (8.0 km/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.
Critical reception
While commending for its acceleration and build-quality, the 1978 528i was criticised for unpredictable handling and excessive body roll. Steering corrections during cornering meant the car´s body "lurches back annoyingly and messily", in part due to the soft springing and hard damping combination. In comparison to the Jaguar XJ3.6 and Peugeot 604, the car was viewed as narrow and cramped in the rear and prone to wind noise.
Production
The production total for the E12 is 722,435 units, including 23,100 produced in South Africa.