BMW recently announced that they have sold more than 2 million examples of its current generation mid-size sedan line-up, the sixth generation 5-Series.
In 2015, BMW said that they delivered 347,000 5-Series, sedans, station wagons, and Gran Turismo five door vehicles around the World. Models sold depend upon the market. For example, a wide range of models are offered in Europe ranging from the economical 518d all the way to the top-of-the-line M5. The current generation sedan is known internally as the F10, the wagon is the F11, and the GT is F07. The current iteration of the 5-Series has been on the market since 2010.
Significant BMW 5-Series
The 5-Series plays a very important role in BMW’s history. It first appeared in 1972, replacing a smaller line of four-door sedans called the “New Class”.
The New Class lost two doors, becoming the BMW 1602 and 2002 which is the model which saved BMW from bankruptcy and went on the become perhaps one of the best known historical BMWs.
Certain models of the 5-Series have gone on to be become highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. The e28 M5 of which only 1,462 were sold in the United States have seen tremendous price appreciation commanding $30,000 USD for a decent driver.
The e34 M5, which is the last “hand-built” M5 is starting to appreciate in price as collectors are starting to realize the value that they represent. The e34 M5 has a reputation for being a driver’s car.
Seventh Generation BMW 5-Series
BMW is slated to unveil the seventh generation of the 5-Series later in the year as a 2017 model. It will be the second vehicle using the manufacturer’s “Carbon Core” architecture that first appeared with the current generation 7-Series.
Since the first generation 5-Series was first released in the early 1970s, over 15 million copies of the vehicle have been produced. It is BMW’s second best selling model behind the 3-Series but accounting for 50% of it’s profit.
