BMW builds the ultimate online museum for fans of its brand

BMW operates an official museum as part of its headquarters in Munich, Germany. However, for armchair travelers, the automaker has launched an online museum of sorts, offering detailed information and photos of models dating back to 1928, when BMW began building its first cars.

The online museum, which BMW refers to as a product catalog, currently lists 424 vehicles—and an even higher number when including models from Mini and BMW Motorrad, both of which have had their own product catalogs since 2021.

Vehicles are organized by model series, decade, and body type, with a search bar allowing users to quickly find specific models. Each entry includes photos and specifications, and in some cases, links to additional publications such as brochures, workshop literature, and specialist books.

For example, selecting the 3-Series model series narrows the decades to the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, and the body types to Compact, Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, and Touring. Choosing the 2000s brings up the E46 generation, and selecting the Coupe body style further refines the list to 12 distinct models, including rare variants like the M3 CSL and M3 GTR.

BMW online catalog

BMW and classic car enthusiasts alike could easily lose hours exploring the catalog and discovering vehicles they never knew existed.

Most of the information comes from BMW’s archives, and the automaker said it plans to continue updating the catalog with future vehicle generations.