5-Series is a mid-size luxury car that was first released by BMW in 1972. It is the successor to the 4-door sedans of the BMW Neue Klasse and is currently (as of 2020) in its seventh generation, which was first unveiled in 2017.
5-series is the second most popular car in the BMW lineup, and is responsible for significant portion of company profits. By 2009 BMW made and sold over 5 million 5-series cars. One interesting fact – current BMW naming convention (3-digit number followed by letters) started with the first 5-series cars in 1972 and continues, with few exceptions to this day.

For the longest time 5-series cars were pretty much ignored by model makers, and to some degree this remains the case even today. For years, the only models of the legendary Bavarian sedans were two color versions of E28 535i models by AUTOart, with the only M5 in existence also being AUTOart’s E28 masterpiece.

And it is rather puzzling for such a successful vehicle. There are plenty of 3-series models, but much less 5ers. Partially this is explained by the lack of racing versions of the 5-series (aside from several rally cars and an odd race car here and there they were not used much for racing), and overall image as being more of a “family” sedans and not very exciting subject for the model car collectors.

5-Series Generations

E12: 1972 – 1981. Sedan
E28: 1981 – 1988. Sedan
E34: 1988 – 1996. Sedan/Touring
E39: 1996 – 2003. Sedan/Touring
E60/61: 2004 – 2010. Sedan/Touring
F07/10/11: 2010 – 2017. Sedan/Touring/GT
G30/31/38/F90: 2017 – Present. Sedan/Touring

E12

First generation 5 was produced by BMW from 1972 to 1981. Being completely new model at the time of its introduction, designers were playing it safe with the replacement of the beloved Neue Klasse sedans. Final design was penned by Paul Bracq, but it was highly influenced by 1970 BMW 2002ti Garmisch show car designed by Bertone.

E12 cars were initially released as the 520/520i 4-cylinder models, with 525 M30 straight-six engine coming a year later, followed by 528, 530, 533 and 535 models later in the production run.

In September 1976 E12 received a mild facelift. Gas tank door was moved to the side of the car and the taillights were widened. The hood received a slight “power bulge” which followed the lines of kidney grilles, and the dashboard vents were repositioned for better air distribution.

At the end of its production life, E12 could be ordered with “Motorsport” upgrades as a special order on 528/530 models. Upgrades consisted of 25% LSD, vented disc brakes, Bilstein shocks, Scheel or Recaro sports seats, sports steering wheel, light alloy wheels with lower profile tires, and optional front-rear spoilers.

Finally, there was an "official" Motorsport version called M535i, sporting a 3.5L engine with Motorsport front and rear spoilers, Recaro sport seats, close-ratio gearbox and LSD, larger brakes, Motorsport striping down the sides and front air-dam, and M1 steering wheel. It was produced in 1980 and 1981 with 1410 total cars made. The E12 M535i was the hottest E12 and is rightfully considered to be the predecessor to the legendary BMW M5.
The E12 was replaced in Europe/North America by the E28 in 1981, although E12 production continued until 1984 in South Africa.

E12 in 1:18 Scale

For scale model collectors there isn’t a huge selection to pick from, but we are in a much better position today than we were just a couple of years ago. And while the only model of the E12 we have is the “loaded” M535i in both resin and sealed diecast, it is still better than not having any models at all. As of this writing, some pictures of the pre-facelift 520 made by MCG (Model Car Group) circulating around the net and due to be released in the first half of the 2020. Three colors are planned.



Otto resin is typical for models from this manufacturer, and while it is not the best or most detailed resin model, its rather accurate and nicely made. The model is available only in Alpine White. Paint quality is good, decals are correct, and interior detail is above average. Obviously sealed with no undercarriage detail, but solid effort nonetheless.




OttoMobile 1/18 BMW E12 535i Alpinweiss

For a couple of years, this was the only choice if you wanted an E12, but recently another French model maker Norev released a rather simplified sealed diecast of the exact same car. While some may argue this was a poor choice of prototype as the model already existed, Norev cars were rather inexpensive (to be fair, Otto models were not high-priced either).




Norev 1/18 BMW E12 535i Silver w/M-Stripe

Norev offering came in Alpine White and Silver with the M-stripes (I got the silver since I already had white Otto), and a couple non-striped variations. At first glance the car was mostly correct in shape and detail, even though it is a very simple model with no chassis detail, simplified interior, and only ok paint quality. Even the wheels don’t steer. The model is rather light and honestly, feels like more like a toy than a model. It looks fine on sitting on the shelf, but if you can get your hands on Otto model, you can easily skip Norev with no regrets. I’m expecting Otto to hold better value anyway.

Few months later after initial release of the 535i with the M-stripes, Norev issued two other colors of the model without M-stripes – in black and bronze (which they call Gold).




Norev 1/18 BMW E12 535i Gold

Few years after the initial 535i offering, in 2017 Otto came back to E12 and released a nice Alpina B7 S Turbo model in dark Alpina blue with copper-colored stripes based on their M535i model. Overall, it is a very solid model with proper shape and mostly correct details. Excellent wheels and proper front and rear skirts and badging make it a very nice add to the collection – especially if you are a fan of the tuned BMW’s from Buchloe.




OttoMobile BMW E12 Alpina B7 S Turbo


Otto E12 models


The front ends are almost identical on all models, though you can clearly see the difference between Alpina and 535’s. Power bulge on the hood also suggests all of these are facelifted models.


Alpina rear spoiler is slightly different shape, but if not for the different badging you probably won’t tell it apart from the regular 5er. Notice also that Norev positioned exhast tips right in the center, while Otto did correct offset to the right. Wheels on 535’s are identical on Norev and Otto, but Alpina has an inch-up classic Alpina rims.


Headlights are slightly bigger on Norev models, and 535 badges are missing from the front – though the M-stripe version does have a old-style BMW logo on on the air dam that Otto does not have. Otto interiors are way better than plain black Norev models. Alpina even has that classic wood shift knob.


Full E12 lineup in 1:18 scale

Sadly, there are still no full detail E12 available for 1:18 scale collectors. With tendencies of the manufacturers to release either resin or sealed metal models these days, chances are it will stay this way a while longer.