The BMW 5 Series and X5: A History of Production Cars and Tuner Specials, 1972-2008

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McFarland, Jan 10, 2014 - Transportation - 293 pages

BMW is a company associated with motoring firsts. The very idea of a sports sedan was merely a novelty until BMW introduced the 5 series in 1972. As BMW's "middle child," the 5 series has drawn features from the company's smallest and largest models, establishing a reputation for performance and practicality through multiple generations.

This book covers the history of the 5 series midsize sedan and the related X5 SUV from September 1972 to the e60's major makeover for 2008 and the development of the e70 X5. Specific mechanical, electronic and cosmetic changes are described, including the time of and reasons for their introduction. Several aspects of BMW's corporate history and technically related models such as the 6-series are also described, as are aftermarket modifications by Alpina, Hartge, and other specialist BMW tuners and speed shops. The book includes more than 200 photographs.

 

Contents

1 Triplanes Trucks and Eggmobiles
3
2 The Original BMW 5 Series
11
3 The e12 5 Series Motorsport Creations and Tuner Versions
44
4 The 5 Series Second Coming
60
5 Fast Shoeboxes
91
6 The e34 5 Series
108
7 The Flying Bus
137
12 Color Plates
C-1
9 BMW in Flux
184
10 Tuning the e39
193
11 The e60 5 Series
210
12 Living in a Niche
232
Appendix
261
Chapter Notes
265
Bibliography
267
Index
269

8 The e39 5 Series
163

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About the author (2014)

Marc Cranswick is an artist and historian with a history of involvement with car clubs and the hobby of classic car ownership. He has written extensively on high performance German cars.

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