Get out the beer steins and lederhosen: the Bavarians are celebrating! Yesterday the 5,000,000th BMW 5-Series rolled off the production line at its factory in Dingolfing (yes, Dingolfing) less than an hour's blitz down the autobahn from Munich. The original E12 5-Series was launched in 1972 with a design penned by Marcello Gandini and was inspired by the BMW Garmisch 2002ti, which Bertone unveiled at the 1970 Geneva Auto Show. The top-of-the-line model then was the M535i, powered by a 3.5-liter six producing 218hp. Five generations later, the E60 M5 produces more than twice that from its 5-liter V10, while versions of the 5-Series are available in Touring wagon bodystyle, with diesel engines and with all-wheel-drive.

The five millionth car, pictured above, is an oil-burning 530d sedan in Carbon Black Metallic (though it looks very blue in the picture).

[Source: BMW via Carscoop]

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