BMW 3 Series: An origin story

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Sponsored by BMW For 45 years, the BMW 3 Series has been a fixture of the automotive landscape. Throughseven generations, the rear-drive sports sedan set the benchmark, and now, with the all new G20 3 Series, the benchmark has been raised. But to understand where the 2020 BMW 3 Series came from, we have to wind the clockback to where it all started, with the BMW E21 3 Series. Launched in 1975, the E21 was available only as a 2-door coupe and hard-frame cabriolet.

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