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Production figures by year

  • Christoph
  • March 10, 2026 at 11:23 PM
  • 114 Views
  • 0 Comments
Contents [hideshow]
  1. Production by year
    1. Model Year
    2. Calendar Year
  2. Production by model year for North America
    1. Graph: North America
    2. Graph: North America, including Total
    3. Table: North America
  3. Production by calendar year, worldwide
    1. Graph: Worldwide
    2. Graph: Worldwide, including Total
    3. Worldwide table
  4. Production by Calendar Year: Worldwide (Detailed)
    1. Global Chart: Detailed
    2. Global chart: Detailed, including total
    3. Detailed Global Table

Production by year

Automobile manufacturers handle their production statistics based on two information dimensions:

  • Model Year

  • Calendar Year

Model Year

The Model Year is defined as the period of time an auto manufacturer determines its sales, marketing and engineering support for a particular vehicle. The Model Year view is utilized by Japan, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, and other coutnries.

In the USA, the Model Year cannot exceed the January of the previous year. For example, a 1991 model can be declared from January 1990 forward to whenever the manufacturer deems the model is no longer offered. For the 1991 BMW 8 Series, the North American Model Year ran from January 1990 until late June 1991.

In certain countries, as in the example of North America, the VIN number has a digit that represents the Model Year of the vehicle. The 10th digit is an alpha-numeric code that represents the model year of the vehicle. For the 8 Series, the 10th digit represented the following years:

M = 1991

T = 1996


N = 1992

V = 1997


P = 1993

W = 1998

(Middle East)

R = 1994

X = 1999

(Middle East)

S = 1995



Calendar Year

The Calendar Year is defined as the January through December time frame an auto manufacturer uses to report annual production for a variety of reasons, including financial reporting of income derived from production.

Many countries, including the European Union, do not recognize the Model Year method and instead use the Calendar Year definition when reporting manufacturing by model number. However, typically it is understood that the model year change-over occurs in September of every year for BMW when engineering changes are implemented following the summer holiday. So although the European Union does not recognize the model year designation vis-a-vis other countries, it nonetheless is considered a newer model year when the changeover occurs in September.

For markets that use the Model Year designation, many unscrupulous sellers will utilize the calendar year production to advantage their rareness selling pitches. For example, in the USA, the 1997 model year for the M73 850CiA began in mid-April 1996 and concluded late July 1997, with 166 cars coded with the 1997 VIN. However, some people will claim that their car is one of 85 M73 850CiA's built for North America in 1997. When pressed for proof, ~50% of the claims will prove false as the car was built as a 1997 in the 1996 calendar year.


Production by model year for North America

Graph: North America

Graph: North America, including Total

Table: North America

Model

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

Total

M60 840CiA

0

0

0

0

502

1`147

0

0

0

0

1`649

M62 840CiA

0

0

0

0

0

0

143

658

0

0

801

M70 850i/Ci 6spd

0

528

212

106

1

0

0

0

0

0

847

M70 850i/CiA

0

2`119

506

677

45

0

0

0

0

0

3`347

M73 850CiA

0

0

0

0

0

54

143

166

0

0

363

S70 850CSi

0

0

0

0

155

70

0

0

0

0

225

Total

0

2`647

718

783

703

1`271

286

824

0

0

7`232

  • This data is default sorted by Model name.
  • Information is based on the cumulative 7,232 build sheets for each North American BMW 8 Series.
  • Model year is derived by the 10th digit of the 17 digit VIN.
  • This 8er data is for the North America continent, specifically Canada and the USA and surrounding territories.


Production by calendar year, worldwide

Graph: Worldwide

Graph: Worldwide, including Total

Worldwide table

Model

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

Total

M60 830Ci 6spd

0

0

0

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

M60 830CiA

0

0

0

13

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

13

M60 840Ci 6spd

0

0

0

0

15

226

138

4

0

0

0

383

M60 840CiA

0

0

0

10

1`194

1`832

1`295

14

0

0

0

4`345

M62 840Ci 6spd

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

35

24

20

9

96

M62 840CiA

0

0

0

0

0

1

34

1`068

1`146

539

191

2`979

M70 850i

55

4`614

5`289

1`317

543

171

0

0

0

0

0

11`989

M70 850i/Ci 6spd

7

740

2`221

548

127

27

0

0

0

0

0

3`670

M70 850i/CiA

5

1`495

1`908

356

600

49

0

0

0

0

0

4`413

M73 850CiA

0

0

0

0

0

102

458

284

216

112

46

1`218

S70 850CSi

0

0

0

225

585

417

206

77

0

0

0

1`510

Total

67

6`849

9`418

2`474

3`064

2`825

2`139

1`482

1`386

671

246

30`621

  • This data is default sorted by Model name.
  • Information is based on the cumulative 30,621 build sheets for each BMW 8 Series.
  • Calendar year production is based on actual production dates from the build sheets; BMW AG's factory reporting for monthly/annual production is skewed with December production data being pushed into following year for revenue recognition purposes (where applicable).
  • This 8er data is for all worldwide production.


Production by Calendar Year: Worldwide (Detailed)

Global Chart: Detailed

Global chart: Detailed, including total

Detailed Global Table

ModellMarketsteering side

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

Total

M60 830Ci 6spdEuropeleft

0

0

0

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

M60 830CiAEuropeleft

0

0

0

13

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

13

M60 840Ci 6spdEuropeleft

0

0

0

0

14

202

110

3

0

0

0

329

M60 840Ci 6spdEuroperight

0

0

0

0

1

24

28

1

0

0

0

54

M60 840CiAEuropeleft

0

0

0

10

813

695

256

6

0

0

0

1`780

M60 840CiAEuroperight

0

0

0

0

98

356

454

8

0

0

0

916

M60 840CiANorth Americaleft

0

0

0

0

283

781

585

0

0

0

0

1`649

M62 840Ci 6spdEuropeleft

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

32

24

20

9

93

M62 840Ci 6spdEuroperight

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

0

0

0

3

M62 840CiAEuropeleft

0

0

0

0

0

1

14

250

207

195

41

708

M62 840CiAEuroperight

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

336

639

344

150

1`470

M62 840CiANorth Americaleft

0

0

0

0

0

0

19

482

300

0

0

801

M70 850iEuropeleft

55

4`614

5`289

1`317

543

171

0

0

0

0

0

11`989

M70 850i/Ci 6spdEuropeleft

6

571

1`584

449

87

24

0

0

0

0

0

2`721

M70 850i/Ci 6spdEuroperight

0

11

61

19

5

2

0

0

0

0

0

98

M70 850i/Ci 6spdSouth Africaright

0

1

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

M70 850i/Ci 6spdNorth Americaleft

1

157

574

79

35

1

0

0

0

0

0

847

M70 850i/CiAEuroperight

2

327

456

148

76

37

0

0

0

0

0

1`046

M70 850i/CiASouth Africaright

0

0

8

8

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

20

M70 850i/CiANorth Americaleft

3

1`168

1`444

200

520

12

0

0

0

0

0

3`347

M73 850CiAEuropeleft

0

0

0

0

0

100

307

159

131

112

46

855

M73 850CiANorth Americaleft

0

0

0

0

0

2

151

125

85

0

0

363

S70 850CSiEuropeleft

0

0

0

224

503

230

101

67

0

0

0

1`125

S70 850CSiEuroperight

0

0

0

1

41

78

30

10

0

0

0

160

S70 850CSiNorth Americaleft

0

0

0

0

41

109

75

0

0

0

0

225

Total

67

6`849

9`418

2`474

3`064

2`825

2`139

1`482

1`386

671

246

30`621

  • This data is default sorted by Model name.
  • Information is based on the cumulative 30,621 build sheets for each BMW 8 Series.
  • Calendar year production is based on actual production dates from the build sheets; BMW AG's factory reporting for monthly/annual production is skewed with December production data being pushed into following year for revenue recognition purposes (where applicable).
  • This 8er data is for all worldwide production.


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