Designed by Paul Bracq, who had previously penned cars for Citroën and Mercedes-Benz, the “E24”-coded 6 Series was introduced in 1976 as the replacement for the E9.

Initially, the E24 was intended to be a heightened version of the E9 3.0 CS, but Bob Lutz, BMW’s VP of Global Sales and Marketing, vetoed this proposal, which fundamentally reshaped the E24 into the sleek and much-loved design that went into production.

In January 1976, the 630 CS entered production, and the following month the 633 CSi joined the line-up.

1978 and 1979 heralded the introduction of the 628 CSi and 635 CSi, the latter offered with three different engines over its production cycle, culminating in a 3.4-litre straight-six in 1982.

Initially, customers could choose from a four- or five-speed manual transmissions, but BMW also offered a three- and later four-speed automatic gearbox.

By April 1989 more than 86,000 E24s had been built.

This 6 Series wears livery in the style of artist, racer, and contributor ...