High fives! A cheat's guide to 45 years of the BMW 5-series

All of the Fives, from 1972 to 2017: click through the gallery above to flick through BMW’s exec saloon stalwart’s family photo album The first one
: E11, 1972-1981. Replaced the Neue Klasse models and brought back pre-war numbering. Designed by Paul Bracq, Pietro Frua. 700k built. The fast one: 
E28, 1981-1987. Computer-aided design helped E28 shed 100kg. Introduced both 524td diesel and high-performance M5. 722k built. The slick one
: E34, 1987-1996. Claus Luthe’s more streamlined look. Introduced all-wheel drive and estate variants; first 5-series to break a million sales. The plush one: E39, 1995-2004. Cautious design combined with silky straight sixes and V8s, aluminium suspension and the Z independent rear axle. 1.4m sold. The radical one: E60, 2003-2010. Chris Bangle 'flame surfacing' ignited hatred in CAR's letters pages. Introduced iDrive, V10-powered M5 and the 520d. The dull one: 
F10, 2009-2016. Post-Bangle return to conservatism. Electric steering, ugly GT hatchback, first turbo M5 and first hybrid 5-series all debut. The latest one: G30, 2017-on. Suave seventh-gen is lighter, faster, more efficient and loaded with tech, including semi-autonomous abilities. Every exterior panel is now aluminium, and more strongly resembles the 3- and 7-series than ever.