BMW UK Just Dropped a Glorious Collection of Photos and Info on 16 Historic Cars

BMW's recent run of bold designs have drastically departed from its traditional design language, for better or worse, such as the BMW XM, 7 Series, and the newly revealed Neue Klasse. Some BMW purists hate the new design direction of their favorite Bavarian brand, while others embrace the new. However, regardless of which side of BMW's styling fence you sit on, I think we can all agree that these 16 historic Bimmers from BMW UK's collection are among its greatest designs.

These 16 cars represent what made BMW such an exciting brand for so many years. Not only are their designs simple and timeless but most the cars themselves were pure drivers cars, without any of the tech-focused fluff from modern Bimmers.

It all starts with the BMW M1, which was the first-ever M Division product. Back in the '70s, BMW wanted to create a mid-engine car to race in the Group 4 GT series. However, the M1's production suffered setback after setback, so by the time it was actually finished, Group 4 had been dissolved and BMW was left with a race car but no race. So the Giugiaro-designed supercar became one of BMW's biggest financial flops, but also one of its most beloved fan-favorites.

The BMW Z8 was a unique car in the brand's history, as it was a standalone model that never saw a successor. Designed by Henrik Fisker, the Z8 is a throwback to the BMW 507, the brand's original grand touring roadster. The Z8 is still one of BMW's prettiest designs and a car that looks as good today as it did in 1999.