1975 BMW E12 520i - First Generation 5 Series POV Drive (Binaural Audio)

[@TheTopher]

All these old 5 series BMWs were just sensational things to drive.

[@IrieFabs]

E23, E24, E38, E34 and E39 are still the most pleasureful things to drive even as a dailydriver (assuming it's not raining or even snowing). With the E28 it's somewhat a different story. To me it doesnt feel "rigdid" as all the previously mentioned ones. Still a nice car they always feel somewhat fragile.

[@creatineenjoyer7345]

@@IrieFabs e39 can handle both rain and snow

[@alf279]

@@IrieFabs Yes I get you on that. Never drove an E12, but drove all other OG 5ers, the E28 is lovely (had a 520i of those for a year myself) but less massive.

[@IrieFabs]

@@creatineenjoyer7345 e38 as well - that wasn't exactly my point though. It rather feels like these were the last cars of the good old era - when cars were designed to last as long as possible.

[@imortaliz]

@@creatineenjoyer7345 for sure i had one for years in Norway the 50/50 weight distribution makes it alot of fun in the snow :D skipped the e60 and have an f10 now :)

[@pierreottoputto1690]

My first car, second hand, a 1977 red e12 520i, nostaligia!!! Drowe it from Stockholm to south of Rome Italy and back several times. Smooth ride, smooth smooth ride!

[@stevenpower3780]

can you imagine that the Alpina Version of the E12 had 330 PS! This was the real deal here in Germany back in the day.

[@henryshu6265]

330PS!?It must be like 650 now!

[@IrieFabs]

Well the turbo version had 300hp. But you can't compare Alpina of that time with stock cars. Alpina changed way more then "just" the engine and drivetrain. These were entirely different cars. When I compare my e24 630cs with the B7 (e24) especially the Turbo, I tend to find more differences than similarities between them. Grüße aus NRW!

[@stevenpower3780]

@@IrieFabs the B7 had 300 PS, but the B7S had 330PS Grüsse zurück aus München

[@marius9171]

My Granddad had a B7S he bought it in 1980 and sold it last year i think it ended up in Canada.. an absolutely stunning car! Greetings from Swabia, Germany

[@ElliWoelfin]

I love how it sounds seconds from exploding cruising on the highway.

[@ElliWoelfin]

I've pretty much only been in post-2000s cars, that was pretty intense to me.

[@lttsr]

​@@ElliWoelfin I agree. Even cars built in the 90s were probably a mixed bag. My mom had a 93 Suzuki Swift (Geo Metro here in the states i think) and man going over mountains with 4 people in the car was painful. Had to turn off the AC just to get to the end of the range. On the other hand, my aunt still has her VW Golf (no clue what year) that has been around since before I was born and honestly it's a really buttoned up substantial feeling little german car with a beefy engine note. I'd say it was 10 years ahead of its time. 2 sides of the coin.

[@ElliWoelfin]

@@derbigpr500 I know, it's just how hard it sounds like it's trying due to the (for modern standards) high wind noise and high RPM

[@papa_pt]

@@derbigpr500 not with this 4 cyl and 4 speed 😂

[@SMD-si7fm]

First car was a 73' super beetle. Never felt so unsafe at 60mph 😂😂

[@youngb1ood]

I like how back in the day, luxury didnt mean leather seats. Man the E12 and E9 are probably my favourite BMW's. Look at the A Pillers on that thing. SO THIN!

[@davidcasas3862]

The old 5 series of BMW, e12, e28, E34 and the one I had, the 520i E39 are simply amazing. Those cars were made with a quality standard that even nowadays is very high. Good test, I've enjoyed a lot!!!!

[@callumstandish4782]

One of my favorite looking cars of all time. Simple, clean, and with perfect proportions.

[@rene837]

German words in the instruments: Licht=Light; Blinker=Turning signal; Nebel=Fog; Bremse=Brake; Ladung=Charge or Cargo, in this case probably a warning light for a low battery; Fernl=Highbeams, it's just made shorter because in full length it would be "Fernlicht"

[@Rudolphe_]

sie sprechen deutsch!

[@rene837]

@@Rudolphe_ jawohl! xD

[@ehrenbutterbrot9795]

@@rene837 so muss das! xD

[@MrBlackSwarm]

nebelwerfer

[@rene837]

@@MrBlackSwarm Nebelscheinwerfer wohl eher, keine Ahnung ob der schon ne Nebelschlussleuchte hatte.

[@Zerbey]

Used to think the older BMWs were ugly but they've gradually grown on me over the years. Beautiful machinery.

[@Leprovocateur]

There was a BMW dealer in Sacramento in 1970! Bavaria’s and 2002’s! I remember 535ia being around in the late seventies also! I drove a 535ia in 1979 for the first time at SIR. I now have 1998 540ia and a 2003 530ia, which I maintain by my self!! These are my sixth and seventh BMW’s, I have now owned five 5 series BMW’s!

[@04dram04]

I love how minimalistic the interior is. The opposite of modern cars

[@shreehariedamuttath3759]

I love the old car charm. Newer cars are just tech, tech and more tech.

[@johnchurch4705]

Proper BMW, to see these on the road in the U.K.( when these were new) was something special compared to all the Ford/Vauxhall/BL stuff people drove.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

This thing is mint! It's hilarious how little it took on the on-ramp to get some squeal out of the tires LOL

[@jehl1963]

I wonder if the pressures are low or the tires a bit old?

[@sparkeyjones6261]

Now some of the old movies with car chase scenes back then start to make sense ;)

[@ignacioalvarez1490]

@@jehl1963 at the beggining of the video you can see that the tires are a very old design, they are probably new but "classic" style tires to keep it period correct. which means the tires on this car are absolute garbage

[@DouweBuruma]

I had one, with a 6 cylinder, and they can go corners extremely well! It must be the old tire for this one.

[@dromedda6810]

growing up as a kid my dad drove an "sand colored" e32 and then got a dark green e36 when i got slightly older. he got these cars eventhough he's an Alfa enthusiast, mainly because of the safety and reliabillity of these older BMW's. Today he drives a Giulia and an old GTJ in the summer. i myself have an e46 CSI

[@stanleychen3298]

Your family sounds like a dream lol

[@dromedda6810]

@@stanleychen3298 you're to kind! Its mostly me and my dad being a pair of nutcases enjoying cars a bit to much.

[@shadowchrome_]

@@dromedda6810 agh i wish i had parents which have interesting cars

[@tedjohnson64]

Another charm about these older "underpowered" cars is that you get to enjoy the sound of the engine reving up when you floor it. Jay Leno (on a recent Jay Leno’s Garage episode) had a very interesting comment along these lines when he said he thinks modern cars rev too fast to enjoy. He likes the sound cars make when... they’re climbing the rev range, but with modern sports cars (especially with automatics and DCT), the revs climb so fast, shift so fast, and have so many gears it’s like “zip! zip! zip! zip! Now you’re in jail.”

[@maxnewts]

I’m obsessed with its aesthetic 😂

[@petercollingwood522]

Paul Braq the designer. He came to BMW from Mercedes where he'd designed the Pagoda SL and the /8 cars. Also the 108/109 series I believe.

[@lordbogus6709]

tbh, wish the og 3 series had that boot... Best BMW boot they made after the 70s

[@schlomoubermann]

My father had a facelift 525 in 1985. This was a great car in Poland.

[@stevealexR1]

I loved my last of the E12 line, 1980 528iA in the Eighties - lovely and better shape than the E28 (especially the sloping boot lid and more elegant rear light clusters plus the wonderful and ahead of its time dashboard. The “big” M30 six cylinder 2788cc engine sounded wonderful too.

[@Speedy636Germany]

Now, THAT'S a video I've been waiting for! Love the old BMWs and Mercs. All-time classics! Can't wait for more!

[@seankennedy5502]

Don't make them like that anymore !

[@MiniOne82]

This bring back some memories, my old man had a UK 518i in red with BBS wheels, then bought a 525i, then bought a M535i. Great cars. I'm currently looking for a E12 518i

[@geroramallo2531]

My grandpa has a 520 just like this one! The only difference is that he has the 1980 model with a carburetor 6 cylinder engine. Things in the interior and the exterior are pretty much the same! Even the signature sound that you commented. Very beautiful car!!!!

[@TonySoprano-p6i]

Lovely to hear mate!

[@germantecahd3416]

Super awesome video, love from Spain.

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

I love E12, searched for one while back in U.S., couldn't find one, most of the one's i found in Europe where to far gone, restoration would be tremendously expensive. Now I am a proud owner of 1994 E34 530i, got it with original 38k miles (now 65k), but i still can't get E12 out of my mind:)

[@davidmulenga2085]

Come get mine

[@noelvandeven8295]

As Dutchman I can confirm that these induce nostalgia in me

[@dillanmistry]

This is a rare review itself, bravo

[@GentilsGarage]

Love it, it’s in fantastic condition. I have a 1974 E12 in Inca Orange which I’m restoring on my channel. It’s the second time I own this car and I won’t be selling it again.

[@tabletoppery780]

I love the transition from the OG 2002ish lines to the more modern late 80's models

[@liamconley9486]

Amazing👌. Got a 1980 528i e12 myself. Good to see these getting more attention!

[@francoisthailande2440]

How much ?

[@liamconley9486]

@@francoisthailande2440 Picked it up for 3900 a few years back

[@francoisthailande2440]

@@liamconley9486 It seems you made a good deal, it is most likely the price of a 520 nowadays. 528s are much higher.

[@liamconley9486]

@@francoisthailande2440 Indeed I think I did. A little bonus was the 733i M30 swap done by one of the previous owners.

[@Bamsebrakar2011]

The 528i with the slanted double exhaust pipes were just the coolest thing. I also has a 1980 E12, a white 525 (double carburettors rather than injection).

[@giuseppebenagiano]

The E12 520i kugelfischer Is the best sedan car of the 70’s... this 13k is 🔝

[@timcoonvlee7301]

My dad and I have a bmw e12 528i 4 speed manual in the Netherlands and it's a lot of fun

[@michaelXXLF]

The car I grew up with. Not many were silver, in fact I can not remember ever seeing one in silver. They were mostly baby-blue, sunshine yellow or green. Or bright orange - like my dad's! The 520i always was a rare beast, most were 520 with double Stromberg carburetors. The i had a high-pressure fuel injection and it cost a massive premium - for little gain in HP. But the 525 and 528 (Not i!) 6-cylinder cars were smooth but mainly thirsty. Haven't seen one in years, the sound accelerating brought back memories. Thanks for sharing! I also drive E39, might buy a third one this w/e. Not M5 though, more down to earth. ;-)

[@gregs8685]

E12s are the best! I had a 1980 528i 30 years ago and loved driving. Reliability was not great though. The e12 M535i is a bucket list car for me.

[@gueli1904]

We had one in fjord blue-:)From year75-80 , A perfekt, modern Car at this time! The Automatic gearboxes at this time where for old peoples!

[@pinkjacketvideos8370]

I think the fact you exist keeps me going

[@TedwardDrives]

❤️

[@thedriver08]

That's an early E12. The fuel filler cap is in the back. Such an amazing car 👍

[@peterj5751]

That took me back. My father had a 525 six cylinder of that era in Australia.

[@timbre7999]

Brilliant video on an equally brilliant car! Great that you mention the fishbowl glass, BMW kept that right up to the turn of the century, the E46 still had incredibly slender posts and quite tall panes of glass, all the while looking sleek. A typical classic BMW balance.

[@mikkojaatinen4120]

Ted, what a great and respectful review! I am the European who remembers this and has big nostalgia for it. I am from Finland and spent the whole of my childhood in the backseat of the same car - a 1973 deep yellow 520. Not with an “i” in the badge though which means slightly less power having carburetor instead of fuel injection. It was still pretty fast car in the 70s. The dashboard was modern, stylish and full of quality. The seatbelts in the 1973 model were even more different though - there was a bent U shaped bar between the seats and the seatbelt had a buckle that hooked on it. I remember every details of the car. It is fantastic. I wish I had a chance to buy this car!

[@2W3X4YZ5]

Very much like the first BMW product I ever drove, except it had a black interior, and it was a 530i. Thanks for the video.

[@starsonata321]

i'm about to buy one of those, super excited

[@Jauzaah]

A few years ago I had the pleasure of driving my friend's old 1979 E12 518. Great to drive. Light and responsive.

[@elizabethcherry920]

It's good to see Waltham MA again, I use to live there back in 80 to 82 on exchange Court and later school st.. those were some of the best times for me, I miss my friend Mark Keene, but I am glad that priest got his for what he did my friend. Great videos you have and thanks for doing them.

[@lewis72]

I too own an E39 M5 !! However, if it were a 1975 exec saloon I were after, it would have to be a Triumph 2000 or 2500 PI.

[@chubz01]

Ohhh man,what a treat.. Thanks for another great video,Tom. 🤘🏻 Edit: I say "great video" simply because I KNOW its gonna be a great video.😅

[@MetalHead1904]

Absolutely beautiful machine!

[@jackrose5077]

Wow, I can't believe this thing is out of 1975, amazing.

[@FGX318]

That always surprises me to hear “you can use it everyday”… this is exactly what it was built for ! As any past car…

[@TedwardDrives]

Why would it surprise you to hear an agreeable statement that perfectly fits the purpose of the vehicle?

[@alexmercer8042]

@@TedwardDrives The large amount of people associate E12 and E28 as collectibles these days and at least from my experience, almost never as daily drivers. I daily my BMW E32 for 5 years now and I still get looks because of that

[@rustndust7059]

This was very much my dad's ride in Germany, 1978-83, in Saphirblau. 2L manual, with a sunroof. Then, he bought a 79 2L manual in Antracitgrau. Years later, here in Canada, I found myself at the auction and having struck out on the cars I had looked at in the yard, just hung around in the stands. The last car for the evening rolled into the ring, while I was texting my girlfriend and a familiar mechanical fuel injection noise from my past made me look up... And see a Saphirblau 1984 520i roll in. Full euro spec steel bumpers, big and little headlights, radio antenna on the "wrong" side. Rust free, and purring like a kitten. I drove it home for $575. Research proved a Canadian Forces member bought it new while stationed in Germany, and brought it home in the early 90s. Being Canadian he bought an automatic car, which now would be very rare in Germany, and the 2L six cylinder is very rare here. I called for a quote for some parts to Calgary BMW, the guy so much wanted me to bring the car to the dealership, as none of the techs had never seen a euro spec 5 series. That was 2004.

[@stephanbode548]

This is the follower of the 1800/2000 and starts the grow of BMW with great designs.They allways had very good manual gear boxes.

[@whiterabbetstudios]

When I was young, I grew up in the e12 528i my mom drove all the time. I remember it fondly and now seeing them today is just a special feeling. Of course I grew up in the American spec model with the huge bumpers and corner lights lol. I am 18 now, always love these old beemers! c:

[@mgtv1505]

Wow that’s a time warp! Amazing.

[@Banana_bread_]

Hoping for some more classic BMWs in the future. Great vid!

[@clardrives9301]

As a new and proud E39 525i owner, it’s great to see where it all started...

[@sergeyyurenev7757]

Damn! Original 520i with Kugefischer injection!

[@peteralexander1155]

I owned an `81 E12 M535I from 1992 to 1994. Very rare then and hard to find nowadays.

[@kingrohan11]

Literally the first time those Blinkers have ever been used Lmao!

[@CHEVYbarracuda1]

Theres a csi for sale here for about 25k$ in europe, really a collector item

[@encompassvideo5429]

Glorious video

[@Captfuntastic]

Lots of people know what the e12 is. My parents had a 78 530i and 79 528i and it's still my dream car to this day

[@robertcambareri1028]

Now this is a BMW. Puts the 2023's to shame.

[@coejbee]

I would kill for this car 😍

[@ituC1008]

Perfect video and thanks for a comprehensive review of this car. Sometimes I wonder if I'm crazy for buying it and thinking it's a collector's item because I don't see much of them on KZbin or on the streets, especially good-looking ones, it's like a forgotten uncle who raised everyone in the family. So again, you just gave me a thumbs up with this video.

[@thevacdude]

We didn't get the E12 until 1975 with the 530i. Fun car, I'd drive one. Thanks for the video.

[@tristan8243]

1:46 the translation for anyone wondering (from left to right): Flasher - rear Foglight - (Hand)Brake - (Battery)Charging - Highbeams

[@frozenpete788]

Omg this feels like new ! I really like this form of time capsule but also a car that can be driven. I've always wondered how it feels with a little M10 under the hood. My e28 (which is basically an E12 with new looking front and back ends) feels quite natural with the M20. I like the whine of the rear end and gearbox in those cars. I drive mine almost everyday, I don't feel in danger to be honest (false impression, could be but you know)

[@joshuaalexander4595]

The glovebox activation was somehow delicious sounding.

[@Franco_Bustos]

I have been following you for a relatively short time and I have to say that the way you do the presentation of each car is really nice. personally I always liked this BMW 520i, that particular unit is in incredible condition, unfortunately I cannot say the same about the units that arrived here in Argentina. Great video!

[@alebigna]

WOW! My dad had one IDENTICAL to this (except for the right side mirror). I was lucky enough when I got my driving license to be able to drive it. It was a great car, comfortable, with great interior and great interior room. A simple car but able to give a lot of satisfaction. To improve driveability, 195/60 wheels were useful. Two things were missing for making it perfect: air conditioning (but we were used to do without it) and the 5th gear: it was a rare optional on the 520/520i with the dogleg schema (1st gear bottom left). The ZF gearbox was great. Fuel economy it was, as for each of this vintage car, important. At top speed (185 km/h - 120 Mph) it was 3 km/liter... huge :D Anyway, a great car, I would love to have one in my garage. Cheers

[@pablocespedes9585]

I always liked that model! They were tough and reliable. In Costa Rica you can still see some of the 5 series on the streets, mostly the 2.5 and 2.8.

[@joseph-S1K]

What a start to my day, sick vid!! 🔥

[@friendlypiranha774]

Sheer Driving Pleasure

[@isaiasgonzalez1919]

Better than the new cars. Old school rocks!

[@Jonathan01233]

I would legit want one of these.

[@daverunner3397]

Gorgeous old Bmer.

[@davidlotspeich5547]

One of the coolest cars you've ever reviewed!

[@aftergameplayedits]

Wow.. little wipers on the headlights..😀such a cute thing 😊😊

[@derekp1]

you sould do more of the POV driving videos and talk about different topics. I really enjoyed the types of videos like the one where you talk about speed limits and such

[@TedwardDrives]

I’ve got a few planned soon! Not tomorrow. But soon 😂

[@derekp1]

@@TedwardDrives Awesome

[@kushhatkar]

All Square body car’s are so dope!!!

[@urgolf1974]

Beautiful E12. Well done video.

[@bimmermann18]

Watching this is enough motivation to finally dig into my E30 and E34 540 Msport, though I do fancy adding an E28....

[@Lianpe98]

I'm inlove with this car

[@neptunefly36]

Honestly you drive the coolest cars.

[@BenBensen293]

I also drove old cars and I have the feeling, that in comparison to all the new cars, the old manual shifters never forgive any mistake you do at shifting. You feel really any mistake you make instantly.

[@rootsmanuva82]

Back when I was 18, I sold my slow as a dog ‘87 brown Corolla for ‘78 Jade green 320i with a rare 5 speed manual. It only had 110 hp but compared to a 70 hp Corolla it was quick. I lowered it with Eibach springs, Ansa exhaust and had 15x7 Ronal R10 Turbo wheels with Pirelli P700Z 205/50/ZR15 tires, Recaro seats and 320is steering wheel. I miss that car! I wonder where it is today (this was 20 years ago).

[@gmonsen]

The e12 WAS sold in the United States. Not this particular model with the 4 cylinder, but as the 530i with a 6 cylinder engine.

[@jellemarona]

My grandfather had one of these here in the netherlands when my mother was young if i recall correctly. A loaded brown 525 with a manual. He wanted a safer car after he had a bad crash in an opel rekord. Too bad i cant find any photos of it.

[@JackpodyDK]

Same thing with my grandfather in Denmark - also owned a nice E12 back in the mid 70s.

[@dirkdee9751]

Blinker = indicator Nebel = fog Bremse = brake Ladung = charge Fernl. = Fernlicht = high beam 🥳

[@cantjur]

E12 was sold as 530 and 533i in the US since 1974, later came the 528i if I remember correctly. You see them in some Hollywood moovies too... But you are right, in Europe was the main market. My father had a 520 with a M20 six cylinder engine, so many of my childhood memories are linked with an E12...although it is not my favorite BMW, and not my favorite 5-series...

[@bimmersdaily2771]

Nice BMW, might have to test drive it

[@ProfCalculon]

The Design of the “E12” based on the Prototype BMW “2200 to Garmisch” from (1970), Design Marcello Gandini (Bertone). Paul Bracq took over the Design, later.

[@derdarkii4740]

just thanks

[@TedwardDrives]

Any time!

[@themagicboy6548]

Love the look of the dashboard, also Isettas were available in the US in the 50s

[@mattyharrismusic]

Later E12s with big USA bumpers were sold in the USA

[@pagodacloud2241]

Bmw is the meaning quality of drive.❤bimmer fans

[@joerumler48]

A REAL BMW.

[@mrtupas732]

TFW you realize the modern 2 series has a longer wheelbase than this first 5 series....

[@redscorpion9411]

I’ve never seen that seatbelt! But it looks cool!

[@Hamlin2Fast]

Hello from Kennebunk Maine

[@shahryarshadman8335]

My uncle had a green one with American bumpers in iran