This is what 40 years of the BMW 3 Series looks like

These days car badges come and go at a speed that verges on terrifying. It’s therefore a pretty remarkable achievement when one manages to make it through 40 years.

The latest of the few cars to hit the magical mark is the BMW 3 Series, was launched in 1975 to replace the BMW 02. Making its debut at that year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the 3 Series has pretty much come to define what a compact executive car should be.

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Small wonder then that its survived through five different body shapes and is about to enter its sixth generation. It is also BMW’s best-selling model, accounting for around 30% of the brand’s annual total sales.

Over the years, BMW’s claimed a number of firsts with the 3 series, including becoming the first car in its class to be available with six-cylinder engines.

It’s got a penchant for awards too. The 3 Series has been on Car and Driver magazine’s annual Ten Best list 22 times, from 1992 through 2014, making it the longest running entry in the list.

Add in a more than significant level of racing prowess and you can see why so many people have wanted to get behind the wheel of a 3 Series for so long.