BMW’s 533i nameplate first appeared in the E12 era as a Motorsport-built special-order sedan. Starting in 1974, BMW Motorsport GmbH produced the 533i by hand in very limited numbers as a performance conversion based on the 5 Series. It was aimed at well-heeled enthusiasts who wanted something far rarer and more purposeful than a standard executive sedan, and it helped establish the idea of a factory-developed BMW performance saloon before the M5 existed. That early 533i run ended in 1979 after only a small production total.
The name returned with the E28 generation, but in a very different role. For the 1983 model year, BMW introduced the 533i for the United States, Canada, and Japan as a flagship 5 Series model in those markets. It replaced the 528i in that range and used BMW’s familiar 3.2-liter inline-six, giving buyers a more powerful and upscale alternative in the executive sedan segment. In North America, the 533i became one of the key bridge models between the more conventional early E28s and the high-performance M5 that followed soon after.
Because the 533i was used first for a low-volume Motorsport special and later for a regular production E28 market model, the nameplate has more than one distinct production period. Enthusiasts usually remember it for both reasons: as an early halo sedan from BMW Motorsport and as the short-lived but important North American E28 six-cylinder flagship.