The BMW E36 is the third generation of the 3 Series compact executive cars produced by BMW. Development began in July 1981, with design being frozen in 1988. It was introduced in late 1990 (as a 1991 model) for Europe and in April 1991 (as a 1992 model) for US and Canada. It was the successor to the E30 3 Series and was eventually replaced by the E46 3 Series in 1998, though E36 coupes were still produced for the 1999 model year.