Initially, the 5 Series was only available in a sedan body style. The touring body style was added in 1991 and the 5-door hatchback («Gran Touring») was added in 2009.
It is BMW’s second best-selling model after the 3-Series and in 2010 produced about 50% of the BMW’s profits.[1]
On January 29, 2008, the 5 millionth 5-Series was manufactured, a 530d Saloon in Carbon Black Metallic.[2]
The 5-Series got its name by being the fifth of the «new series» cars after the V-8 and Isetta era[citation needed] and was the replacement for the older four-door New Class sedans. The current BMW naming convention began with the first 5-Series.