BMW Group opens online archive for classic models

BMW has launched a new website dedicated to telling the story of its classic vehicles, spanning nine decades.

The BMW Group Classic Product Catalogue covers cars and motorbikes produced between 1928 and 2008, offering in-depth information on almost every model made.

The archive even includes details of classic Mini models. So if you urgently need to know how much an original Riley Elf cost in 1961, BMW has it covered. To save you looking, it was £575.

Time to dust off your anorak

The Product Catalogue’s detailed descriptions include reminders, such as not to confuse the 1988 BMW M3 European Champion Edition with the British-market M3 Ravaglia version. 

Performance data is also supplied, such as the 112mph top speed of the 1957 BMW 502 V8. Perhaps BMW hopes the Product Catalogue will be a way to settle pub debates. Or start new ones. 

BMW has combined its historical technical data with archive photography, meaning images accompany all the entries in the Product Catalogue.

To build the collection, BMW’s experts studied in excess of 600 data sets, along with processing more than 520 images.

Help to repair your classic BMW or Mini

Helpfully, there are links to where you can obtain reproduction spare parts for historic models, along with exploded-view technical drawings. Should you need a replacement door latch for your BMW M1, consider your prayers answered. 

Additional resources include ways to access reference documents such as workshop manuals, owner’s manuals and classic brochures. 

Katrin Gfrörer, head of BMW Group Archives, said: “By making our complete historical model overviews available online, we meet a high external demand for historical product information that has existed for many years and maximises customer satisfaction with another digital tool. 

“In addition, most of the database in our online archive is publicly available on the BMW Group Archive website and can be used for information and research purposes. These measures impressively underline BMW Group Classic’s digitisation strategy.”

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