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BMW’s recent advertisement campaign for the 3-series has notably featured the E21; interesting, since it’s the first time that I can remember BMW actually acknowledging the first 3. It’s not that the E21 didn’t have the right recipe; Paul Bracq’s design was lovely and of course coupled to the traditional front-engined, rear-drive platform with a manual gearbox, but I think that a large part of the E21’s problem was the perceived lack of sport for the 320 model that came here. If you were in the rest of the world, you could get a hotter and better looking option than what Americans would enjoy – the 323i. With the fuel injected M20 motor under the hood, the 323i enjoyed a healthy 20 horsepower bump over the standard 320i, and since it was a Euro car it had better looking….well, it goes without saying. The slimmed down and beefed up 323i made it here through the grey market, with this particular example having the added interesting bit of history of having been imported by notable BMW specialists Hardy and Beck:
E21s seem to be gaining popularity, with some beautiful, low-mileage examples coming out of the woodwork and pulling upwards of $20k! This 1983 320is is more about fun and less about preservation, strapping a Mitsubishi TD04 turbo on, a snail more commonly used on Saabs. To support the increased output, parts from a fun variety of cars – Audi 200 Turbo, VW GTI, Volvo 240 Turbo – come together to give this little 3er a bit more oomph than the M10’s original 125hp. With the “is” model’s inherent improvements in handling and power delivery and a hefty new-parts list, this E21 looks to be a fun little handful.
After a few months being listed for sale, it appears that the seller of the unique Alpina modified Euro-spec E21 320i has become a bit more realistic and the car’s asking price has dropped from $24,000 to $15,000. That seems more in line with top-of-the-market 320i sport models and makes it a much more compelling alternative to the more typical modified E30 crowd:
The below post originally appeared on our site March 24, 2015:
With the longtime popularity of the 2002 model and the more recent rise of the E30 models as popular tuning and collector platforms, it’s really amazing that the E21 continues to be generally ignored. The ingredients are all there; classic, rear drive platform, small sedan versatility, Paul Bracq design – they’re really perfectly placed as a small coupe with design elements from both the big brother 5 and 6 series. Sure, shipped to the U.S. they were a bit of a wet noodle, with low horsepower and heavier weight than the ’02s they replaced – which, themselves by the end of the run had lost a bit of the original magic. On top of that, as with the end of the run ’02s and all U.S. bound BMWs until 1988 they carried the heavier “diving board” bumpers. Some aren’t bothered by them, but I don’t think anyone will claim that the 5 m.p.h. DOT-mandated bumpers compliment the original designs of Mr. Bracq particularly well. But, as with all European models from this time, seeing a ROW-spec model is always a treat.
Today we have a nearly immaculate survivor of the best E21 model BMW brought to America. With some handling and cosmetic upgrades, the 320is was a tidy little package. It’s amazing that after 32 years and 117k miles this Hennarot example looks as showroom fresh as it does. The paint, chrome, interior, engine bay, and even the toolkit all look virtually unused. The E21 generation has its own distinct charm, a bit more quaint than the E30 but still a playful little sports sedan, and this is among the best examples we’ve seen.
