With over 35 years in production consisting of six generations of models, the BMW 3 series automobile has proven to be a consistent favorite among auto buyers. Since its release in 1975, the Series 3 is the bestselling BMW model released, bringing in over 30 percent of the company's total revenue from auto sales.

The first generation of the BMW 3 series was the E21 model, introduced to the market in 1975 and lasting through 1983. The E21 was a two-door saloon model, which included a redesigned interior with safety features not present in earlier BMW car models. The center console was angled toward the driver to allow easier use, while the interior edges of the car's cockpit were rounded and padded for safety. Upon release, three distinct versions were offered for sale, a 1.6-litre 316 model, 1.8-litre 318 and 2.0-litre 2.0 model. The 320 was distinctive in that it used duel headlights instead of the single headlights of the 316 and 318. In the 1977 version, the engine in the car was upgraded with a six-cylinder model replacing the four-cylinder ones.

The second generation E30 changed the body style to a four-door model, but upped the price nearly double to that of the first E21. Despite the price raise, the second gen. E30 was a popular seller, with constant upgrades made throughout the production years of 1982 to 1991 to improve vehicle performance.

The emphasis of performance has continued with the BMW 3 series over the generations of models, with each new model offering substantial upgrades over the last. The model has made a name for itself in luxury automobiles because of that performance. Many of the upgrades are taken from advances made in BMW's racing automobiles. The third generation E36 introduced multilink suspension into the line and upgraded the engine to a 2.8-litre version. The fourth generation added steptronic manumatic transmissions and a new 3.0-litre engine. The fifth generation models added inline-six engines to the lineup, active cruise control, adaptive headlights and active steering.

In 2011, BMW introduced its latest six generation BMW 3 Series models to the market. The new model updates the safety features with the addition of night vision addons, a lane departure warning system and adaptive cruise control. Under the hood, updates include aluminum four-cylinder engines. There's even a hybrid version of the model planned that could save on fuel consumption by 20 percent.