Simply The Best – 1989 BMW M3 E30

Way back in 1973 the actor Orson Wells, chosen for his deep and imposing voice, appeared on commercial television as the then public face of the Danish brewing company Carlsberg. He was the first person to utter to the masses the slogan, “Carlsberg, probably the best lager in the world.” This catchphrase, spoken with great authority, has gone down in history as one of the greatest marketing slogans, ever. Just mentioning the word “probably” can subliminally suggest a refreshing glass of Carlsberg lager. Indeed, although the slogan has now recently been replaced, the word “probably” appeared in the Carlsberg company font and graphics at the EURO 2016 European Football (Soccer) Championships in France as an advertising logo. Along with cigarette branding, alcohol brand names are banned in certain European countries, but the global audience would need no other clue as to whom, or what, was being advertised.

What has this got to do with the BMW M3 you may ask? Well, there’s no “probably” about the BMW M3 E30 Group A touring cars—as many drivers of the day will confirm. In the words of Chapman and Knight, and rung out in Tina Turner’s powerful dulcet tones, they were “Simply the Best.” Globally too, the “M3” logo had that same subliminal suggestion as Carlsberg’s word “probably,” the mere presence of an M3 wrought fear in the mind of rival competitors, it was the benchmark of mechanical excellence, the car to have and the car to beat. Such success on the track easily transferred to sales of road cars, the ultimate “holy grail” of motor manufacturers.