13 May 2019

One of the last known examples of the BMW 530 MLE will soon be gleaming in all its former glory once again. And workers who took part in the production more than 45 years ago are also part of the action. The “Motorsport Limited Edition” (MLE) of the classic first-generation BMW 5 Series was built only in South Africa from 1973. Just 227 units were produced so that it could be homologated for motor-sport competitions – which they then went on to win many times over.

The BMW 3/15 PS DA2 from 1929 is much more than a distinguished classic car and the first automobile to proudly bear the BMW emblematic badge. It is an iconic symbol of the company’s success story based on courage and vision. The special exhibition entitled “90 Years of BMW Automobiles” is dedicated to the turbulent days at the beginning of the story and narrates how the BMW 3/15 PS became a sales hit in difficult times. 

It’s likely that David Bowie’s glam alter ego – Ziggy Stardust – would have loved to drive this car to the performance with the “Spiders from Mars”: a classic Mini dipped in reflective mirror chrome. The pop icon styled the car for the 40th birthday of the Mini in 1999. Interesting to think what Bowie was thinking about at the time …

For many people, this process still seems like a miracle or even science fiction. A complex workpiece grows in front of our very eyes, controlled by a computer. But additive manufacture, commonly known as 3D printing, is now a reality. Three years ago, a door handle produced in the additive manufacturing process created headlines when it was produced for the BMW 507 that had once been driven by Elvis Presley. But any customer can now benefit from this technology at the BMW Classic Parts Shop. Let’s take part number 13 41 2451566: a rubber bushing for the air flow meter of a second-generation BMW 3 Series. Small, unprepossessing, indispensable. And always easily available from the printer.