The old BMW chime, often called the BMW gong, was the standard warning sound in many BMW models built through the 1990s and 2000s, including popular 3 Series and 5 Series cars. Its softer tone set BMW interiors apart from other brands at the time. As those cars aged, owners shared recordings on forums and video platforms to preserve the sound and help with retrofits. It later spread to soundboards and editing libraries, where it remains a shorthand for classic BMW ownership.