There are very few automotive manufacturers that, through decades of history, have managed to preserve some core, instantly recognizable styling details. BMW and their kidney grille are certainly one of the best examples in this respect, with the famous design element being in use since 1933.
Most BMW cars produced in the company’s history have worn the two-piece radiator grille as a clear and proud indication of the vehicle’s roots and branding. Nevertheless, the kidneys are now forever and for all associated with the Bavarian company. And what makes them so special is the diversity of shapes and forms in which it comes, not to mention the various functionalities it employed through time on various models. That pretty much explains everything about how BMW managed to reinvent, transform and evolve what initially looked as a simple design element.