So much for that ‘difficult second album’ trope. BMW smashed it out of the park with the 1982-94 E30, which is so fondly remembered despite its flaws it’s bagged two of the seven slots in this 3-series celebration package. But like that tight lid you couldn’t quite undo but clearly loosened for the next person, the original and now overlooked E21 3-series did much of the graft so its successor could get the glory.
Conceptually, if not visually, the E21 as launched in 1975 seems far closer to the 02-series cars it replaced than the E30 that followed. There was no sign of the fourdoor saloon, estate or convertible variants; no M3, diesel or four-wheel-drive options that the second-generation 3-series would bring. Just a small two-door coupe-cumsaloon with a choice…
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CAR UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025