The new 7 Series was presented as the successor to the big six-cylinder sedans with the BMW models 728, 730 and 733i in May 1977. The BMW 728 represented the entry into the BMW luxury segment until 1979. Similar to the BMW 730, it was still equipped with carburettor technology. As in the case of the other two models, the BWM 728 was available with either a four-speed manual gearbox or a three-speed automatic transmission. In 1979, the BMW 728 was replaced by the BMW 728i equipped with fuel injection.