Sep 10, 2015, 1:12pm ET

BMW builds 10 millionth 3-Series sedan

The company has built 14 million 3-Series vehicles in the past 40 years, mostly in sedan form rather than coupes.

BMW is celebrating a production milestone for its most popular vehicle family, as 3-Series sedan production surpasses 10 million units.

The German automaker has built more than 14 million 3-Series vehicles since the first-generation E21 chassis was introduced four decades ago. More than half have been sold in sedan form, though the first four-door 3-Series did not arrive until the early '80s. All 3-Series models are now sedans, after coupes were split off into the 4-Series family starting with the 2014 model year.

The landmark 10 millionth unit, a 320d in Imperial Blue, rolled off the assembly line at BMW's Munich factory, which is the only facility to have produced all six generations of 3-Series models. The compact luxury sedan currently accounts for approximately half of the plant's 1,000-unit daily production capacity.

"The success story of the BMW 3 Series started here in Plant Munich and is now reaching a very special highpoint here as well," said plant director Hermann Bohrer. "The fact that this landmark vehicle was produced at our plant is a particular honour for us and makes me very proud indeed of my team."

The 3-Series continues to be a strong seller for the company, with US sales up by nearly four percent to 60,675 units for the first eight months of the year.