The following is reposted from BMW Press:
30 Years Anniversary for the BMW 5 Series
14. June 2002
Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, June 14, 2002...In September 2002 BMW's mid-size sport sedan, the 5 Series, will celebrate its 30th anniversary. From its modest introduction in 1972, the 5 Series has gradually evolved to become a consistent winner.
The first model of this type, the BMW 520, was a sporty and elegant four-door with a peppy 115 horsepower four-cylinder engine. The 520 was introduced in Europe and was built in Munich following the end of the 1972 Olympic games and the completion of the landmark BMW "Four Cylinder" building (currently the BMW Group's headquarters in Munich). 12,895 units were built in the main factory before production was moved to the new BMW plant in Dingolfing in autumn, 1973. This model first arrived in the US as the 6-cylinder 530i in 1975.
The idea for a mid-sized BMW sedan had originated back at the end of the 1950s - and its success continues today. At that time, BMW hit upon the idea of developing the kind of automobile that did not exist: comfortable enough for five people and agile enough for a lively, spirited drive. The marketing strategists named the BMW 1500 "the New Class". It saw the light of day in 1962.
The new 5 quickly became the central pillar of BMWs product philosophy. Let's step back into the company's history books for a moment: 1966 was the birth of the new Compact model, the two-door 1600-2, with which BMW also "invented" a new dimension in driving. And at the end of the 1960s, BMW once again picked up its six-cylinder tradition from the Thirties; the 2500 and 2800 models made their debut in 1968, and the new "giants" along with the 2800 CS coupe launched BMW into a whole new realm.
The basic concept of the BMW 5 Series - taken from the description of the 1500 - has been retained consistently, but has gradually been refined and updated over the decades. The product substance has always made the 5 Series a trendsetter: elegant, comfortable, sporty and practical at the same time, setting standards in both active and passive safety - in short, a car that appeals to both reason and emotion.
From 1972 to 1981 the first 5 Series was offered in six different engine capacities, from the 518 with 90 horsepower to the M535i with 218. In the US the 530i was followed by the 528i in 1979. In the second generation (1981 - 1987), the spectrum covered seven engine capacities, plus the diesel and eta versions. The 528e with the eta engine debuted in the US in 1982. The 533i soon thereafter arrived in 1983. The US market received its first M5 in 1987. The third generation 5 Series started in 1987 with a power range of 113 horsepower to 315 horsepower. They arrived in the US in 1988 as the 525i and 535i, which were joined by the M5 in 1990.
In 1991, the 5 Series diesel made a real leap forward with the introduction of a turbo-charged 143 horsepower engine. In 1992, a dramatic increase in performance was seen with the introduction of the eight-cylinder models. The 530i with 218 horsepower (215 in the US) and 540i (286 hp, 282 in the US) replaced the 535i and 530i.
Today, the fourth generation of the 5 Series is an absolutely leading edge technical achievement and provides a range of choice that meets practically every desire you could imagine; there are two body versions - the sedan and (like its predecessor since 1992) the sport wagon, with six and eight cylinder engines. In Europe and elsewhere, four and six cylinder diesel engines are also offered. Power ranges from 136 hp to 286 hp (282 in the US), and - the absolute ultimate - the M5, with 400 hp (394 in the US).
The subtly restyled 2002 5 Series vehicles are still seen as benchmarks in their class, years after their initial debut. With their wide range of technical innovations, they have set standards in terms of driving characteristics, active and passive safety, individual comfort and economy. The 5 Series remains incredibly popular in the US and has won numerous accolades from the automotive press:
o AAA Publishing has selected the BMW 5 Series as the winner in the $35,000 to $40,000 category in the "AAA Auto Guide: 2002 New Cars and Trucks (formerly called AAA New Car & Truck Buying Guide,
o "Best Luxury Car Under $40,000" Editor's Choice awards for the 525i from Automobile Magazine,
o "Best Sports Sedan" Editor's & Readers' Choice awards for the M5 from Automobile Magazine,
o "10Best" award from Car and Driver for the 2002 5 Series,
o "Best Auto 2002" Readers Award for the 2002 5 Series from the German publication auto motor und sport,
o "2002 Most Wanted Midsize Luxury Sedan - Over $30,000" for the 5 Series from Edmunds.com,
o "Best Pick" from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for the 5 Series,
o "10 Best Engines" award for the 530i engine from Wards Auto World.
Finally, a few facts and figures: Between 1962 and 1972, 350,729 of the 5 Series' ancestor, the 1500 (or 1600, 2000 and all the rest), were manufactured. The production figure for the first 5 Series, made between 1972 and 1981, reached 699,094. The second version, produced from 1981 to 1987, reached a total of 722,328, the third (1987 - 1996) saw production figures rise to 1,333,438. And the current version - launched at the end of 1995 - has already reached a production level of over 1.3 million vehicles. And so, from an ordinary beginning, the BMW 5 Series has risen to become a successful star in the automotive realm.
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Here's one to such a remarkable automobile! 
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