The E46 3 Series carried BMW’s reputation into a new millennium, and it had to look the part. Beloved for its balance, precision, and timeless styling, it became one of the most influential models in the brand’s history, shaping expectations for every generation that followed. Arguably, it defined better than any other vehicle what a sport sedan should be. But behind that unmistakably “BMW” look lies a lesser-known twist. While enthusiasts might imagine bespectacled Germans drafting its lines in a quiet Munich studio, the origins of this benchmark 3 Series don’t start in Bavaria at all. Quite the opposite, in fact: they hail from thousands of miles away, on the California coast.
The BMW E46 3 Series: Born in California
You read that right: arguably one of BMW’s most iconic designs came from the good ol’ US of A. Erik Goplen of DesignworksUSA — today, known simply as Designworks — submitted the winning design to BMW’s company-wide “design contest.” If you didn’t know, that’s a regular occurrence at BMW. Designers from all over the globe pen what they think the next generation of whatever new model is coming next and send it off to Munich for approval. From there, the designer gets the opportunity to work directly with the Germans in bringing the car to reality.
Goplen’s winning design was a milestone for then fledgling Designworks. Though the company had been involved with BMW from the E31 BMW 8 Series in the late 1980s, taking a major role in such a core BMW product as the BMW 3 Series was new for the studio. By 1991, BMW had acquired a 50 percent stake in the company, and by 1995, Designworks became a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG. “When Designworks won this program,” Adrian van Hooydonk said at a media event, “I remember very well what an impact it made. Nobody expected the small Designworks studio to walk away with the big prize in the very core model of the 3 Series. But they did.” When taken in on a grander scale — that is, combining the successful designs of the E46 BMW 3 Series with the BMW X5, the California studio’s other success story — you have to assume BMW’s investment paid off big.
Sketches of Sedans
Sadly, BMW has not yet shared images we’re allowed to showcase here, so we’re stuck describing what we witnessed in a press event. The E46 BMW 3 Series project more closely resembled a limousine, with a long hood/bonnet and a short overhang. A stubby boot and simple lines diminished vertical presence while emphasizing horizontality. Split headlights showed up as the concept evolved, as did flush door handles. Of course, those particular revolutions in design wouldn’t find their way into production for a couple decades. The E46 3 Series was also not the last sedan to come out of Designworks; the handsome G30 5 Series also came from Los Angeles. Telling, perhaps, that it was one of the last “traditional looking” BMW models in the portfolio. Who knew the Californians had such a good eye for aesthetics?
