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The spotted specimen

Earlier this year, we drove a bright yellow BMW M5. A color that looked surprisingly good on the car. It seems that bright car colors are slowly returning, at least on the option lists. There was a time when bright colors were abundant on the streets, even in the luxury segment. This bright yellow 1978 BMW 520, which we came across on an industrial estate in Lelystad, is a reminder of those days. By the way, we see that the car got a new owner shortly after being spotted. Congratulations on your beautiful acquisition!

The BMW 5 Series E12

This BMW 520 is a first-generation 5 Series, the E12. That came on the market in 1972 as the successor to the Neue Klasse sedans. Times are also revived in this regard, as BMW has just presented another new Neue Klasse. But that aside. For its time, the 5 Series E12 was quite an advanced car. For example, it already had computer-calculated crumple zones. It also had a particularly low air resistance and a design that came out of a collaboration between big names: Paul Bracq and Marcello Gandini.

In good BMW tradition, the E12 also had an advanced chassis, with independent suspension and a separate braking system. Depending on the engine variant, the car had front and rear disc brakes and power steering was standard. The design of a longitudinal engine combined with rear-wheel drive was also characteristic of BMW – and would remain so for a long time.

BMW 520 and other engines

The BMW 5 Series E21 has come with various four- and six-cylinder engines over the years. The BMW 520 we spotted was from the beginning. Initially, the 520 designation included a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 85 kW (116 hp). There was also a 520i with fuel injection, which was 96 kW (131 hp) strong (later the output was reduced slightly). After the 1976 facelift, the designation “520” belonged to a 2.0-liter six-in-line with 90 kW (123 hp). This later version is also sometimes referred to as the 520/6.

Except for the 518, the 520 was the base engine version of the range. At the other end of the spectrum was the 160 kW (218 hp) M535i with 3.5-liter six-in-line, the precursor to what would become the BMW M5 series.

Facelift for the 5 Series

In 1976, the BMW 5 Series E12 underwent a facelift. At first glance not much changed, but on closer inspection all the more. For example, the rear lights became slightly wider and from now on all engine variants had a hood with a slightly higher center section. Previously, only the six-cylinder models had that. Even the fuel filler cap moved: from next to the right taillight to the right fender. In 1981, generation E28 took over.