Top 5 Most Important BMWs in History

BMW has a rich history that has helped it become one of the top luxury brands in the world.

With a huge amount of significant models, it would be pretty easy to pick a top 20, but we recently gave Hildegard Wortmann, the senior vice president of BMW, the difficult task of narrowing it down to just five.

In chronological order, here are the top five most important BMWs in history, according to Ms. Wortmann. Her answers definitely surprised us.

Top 5 Most Important BMWs in History

BMW 507

Any car that was driven by Elvis has enough power on its own to become an icon, but the 507 is a huge part of BMW’s history, even without its association with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

“It’s an icon and it teaches us how a car that might not have had the largest volume can build a brand and become an icon for the brand,” Wortmann said.

Roadsters don’t see the big sales volumes that money-making crossovers do, but they’re just as important to the BMW brand regardless. The iconic Z8 and popular Z4 are spiritual successors to the 507 and Wortmann even says the upcoming 8 Series embodies the same philosophy that classic roadster distilled so clearly. This special roadster was the spark that started this very important part of BMW’s heritage.

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BMW M1

BMW’s motorsports and performance strategy were heavily informed by the M1 and it really helped solidify what M really means to BMW and the automotive industry as a whole. It’s arguably more important than the M5 and M3 because without the M1, there would be no M5 or M3, so in terms of BMW’s storied history as a purveyor of “Ultimate Driving Machines,” there really is no car more significant.

BMW i3

“The i3 was groundbreaking because it was really revolutionary … it really reinvented electromobility for the brand,” Wortmann said. The i3 spearheaded an entirely new direction for BMW and really showed what the brand was capable of in terms of innovation and trendsetting.

BMW i8

The BMW i8 combined qualities from the M1 and i3, two cars that on the surface, could not be more different. It proved that hybrids can be exciting and that performance and electromobility were not mutually exclusive.

“It was amazing because it was the first electrified sports car and was part of a new generation,” Wortmann said. Many prestigious automakers are now electrifying their supercars, which has become the norm, and BMW can take credit for making it mainstream.

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BMW i Vision Dynamics Concept

This concept car symbolizes the future to come and is the culmination of all the lessons learned from the above cars. Through the i Vision Dynamics, Wortmann says, “You can see how our story continues and how electromobility is going to be taken to the next level.”

This concept will soon become BMW’s first fully electric and nearly autonomous sedan, and what many are calling a “Tesla killer.” Like every other model on this list, this car heralds a new era for BMW and will be remembered as a crucial part of BMW’s history.

Wortmann sums up BMW’s strategy succinctly: “Without history, you have no future, but history should not become a burden.” Each one of these cars represents how BMW as a brand integrates its rich history with its drive to move forward, proving that the two can happily coexist.