Like it or not, BMW produces some of the coolest and most popular sports cars on the market. Granted, some of their recent models have been quite controversial, and the styling tested even the most avid BMW fan, but it remains an excellent automaker.

Bayerische Motoren Werke – also known as Bavarian Motor Works or just BMW – was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft, before transitioning to motorcycles and automobiles after the First World War. The company boomed in the 1930s thanks to its amazing racecars and continued the trend in the 1950s and 1960s with its GT cars. The real success began in the 1970s with the New Six sedan, catapulting BMW into the realm ruled by Mercedes-Benz. By the 1980s, BMW was one of the most popular German automakers. The 1990s and early 2000s saw a design language change that defined the company and is often heralded as the golden age of BMW automotive design. The next two decades saw some pretty amazing vehicles interspersed with extremely controversial designs – the E60 5-Series and the E65 7 Series being the best examples of it.

BMW’s design continues to be controversial with fans either loving or hating current and upcoming models – with no middle ground. The new 7 Series and M2 are the topics of choice at the moment, swaying between ‘harking back to BMWs of old’ and ‘downright ugly’. Regardless, the German marque still produced some of the best-looking vehicles in their segments. Here are ten of the most beautiful BMW models of all time.

10 BMW 328

The BMW 328 was the original sports coupe and roadster which put BMW on the map. It was built on the chassis of the 326 family car but modified for racing. Race cars in those days looked quite different from the modern ones, and the 328 was breathtakingly elegant. The 328 was in production between 1936 and 1940 and featured a 2.0-liter straight-6 producing just 79 hp.

Power was sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual. The 328 was specifically used to race in the famous Mille Miglia race, winning in its class in 1938. Overall, the 328 achieved over 100 wins between 1936 and 1940, even going on to win the 1948 Australian Grand Prix. BMW showcases the 328 in their Vault, situated below the main exhibits at the BMW Museum in Munich.

Related: 10 Reasons Why We Love The Fraser-Nash BMW 328 Sports Car

9 BMW 507

The BMW 507 was an utterly gorgeous roadster built by the German manufacturer between 1956 and 1959. It was meant to be a competitor to rival the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, but it turned out to be wholly too expensive for BMW to produce. As a result, only 252 units were ever made.

The 507 featured a 3.2-liter V8 specially designed for the roadster, producing 147 hp. Power was sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed ZF manual. Some notable owners included Fred Astaire, Bernie Ecclestone, and Elvis Presley – the latter of which has been meticulously restored by BMW.

8 E9 BMW 3.0 CSI

The BMW E9 3.0 CSI is simply one of the most beautiful cars the German marque has ever made. It is so beautiful, in fact, that BMW stores it alongside the 328 in their Vault. The 3.0 CSI was the road-going version of the CSL, the famous ‘Batmobile’ of the 1970s. It featured the same 3.0-liter straight-6 producing around 200 hp – 20 more than the CS thanks to fuel injection.

The proportions of the E9 are simply stunning. From the shark-nose front end to the BMW roundels on the C-pillars, the E9 is a work of art. One of the best parts of the E9 is that Alpina got their hands on it, creating one of the prettiest custom cars ever made.

7 E26 BMW M1

The BMW M1 was the brand’s first supercar and its first mid-engine vehicle. While the M1 was supposed to be designed and built in collaboration with Lamborghini, the Italians pulled out of the project due to financial difficulties – one of many they had.

As a result, the M1 was solely engineered by BMW, with the body being designed and produced by the famous Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign. The specially developed M88 engine was the first M-designed powerplant and displaced 3.5 liters and produced around 270 hp. The M1 is an extremely exclusive model which is praised for its driving dynamics and styling.

6 E24 BMW 635 CSI

The E24 6-Series was a modernization of the original E9 coupe, featuring the same basic design. The E24 shared the shark-nose front end, the Hoffmeister Kink in the rear window, and the premise for the straight-6 engines – in typical 1980s BMW design language.

The M635 CSI was the top-of-the-range model featuring a 280 hp 3.5-liter straight-6 mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. The 635 CSI is an excellent example of the modernization of a classic design – something very few automakers were able to do correctly as in the case of the Chevrolet SSR or Chrysler PT Cruiser.

5 E30 BMW 3 Series

The E30 3-Series was the first proper commercial success for BMW in the lower-end premium sedan segment. Built to be smaller and cheaper than the 5-Series, the 3-Series brought German premiumness to the masses. Today, the E30 is highly regarded – especially the top-tier 325i.

The layout of the E30 is the pretty conventional ‘three box’ design, but it looked muscular and luxurious at the same time. The LCI model – before BMW called it LCI – looked even better, rounding off the look and adding some more style elements. It’s just a great design overall.

4 E31 BMW 850 CSI

The return of the big BMW grand tourer was ushered in by the E31 8-Series in 1990. The 8-Series followed the design language of the era but added pop-up headlights and a more aerodynamic design. As an added bonus, the E31 only ever had V8s and V12s.

The E31 is typically retro in styling and ignored what other German manufacturers were doing and almost seemed to look at the Japanese cars of the era, mixing their own formula and creating a masterpiece. The best of the lot is the 850 CSI featuring a manual transmission and an M-V12 which never made it into the M8.

Related: This Is How Much The Classic BMW 8-Series Is Now

3 E38 BMW 7 Series

The E38 7-Series is simply one of the best-looking sedans ever made. It has the perfect proportions, and styling which still looks exceptional today, and is so well-made that it puts modern luxury cars to shame. Granted, the V8s were a bit unreliable, but it is spectacular.

The 7-Series was available with straight-6s, V8s, and even a V12. Most famously, an E38 was used as James Bond’s spy car in Tomorrow Never Dies, where it did a chase through a parking garage and ended up in the front window of an Avis rental agency.

2 E52 BMW Z8

The BMW Z8 was to the 507 and the E24 was to the E9. It was a completely new vehicle but took inspiration from the original – 40 years apart. The Z8 was based on the E39 M5’s chassis, sharing the fantastic 4.9-liter V8 and manual gearbox, producing 400 hp.

The Z8’s design is awesome, featuring the same thin grille as the 507, instead of the traditional kidney grille used in most BMWs of the time. Other similarities included the interior and the side vent of the front fenders, giving the whole car a 1950s feel. While the driving dynamics is apparently a bit on the bad side, the styling more than makes up for it.

1 G15 BMW 8-Series

Modern BMWs tend to be quite controversial as the German manufacturer tries something new. These designs sometimes backfire spectacularly – especially as in the case of the E65 7-Series – and result in a more conventional design when facelifted or when the new model is released.

One of the modern BMWs which was gorgeous from the day it was unveiled is the G15 8-Series. The beautiful exterior design with the slightly redone interior is a perfect example of not overdoing it. The 8-Series just got better with the LCI and the Alpina version is the best-looking. The 8-Series is the perfect blend of aggression and elegance, all while being able to out-drag a Bentley Continental GT W12 at less than half the price. The G15 is awesome, and it will be a sad day when BMW replaces it with the upcoming 6-Series coupe.