Warning!
We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.
This site contains Ebay partner affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
The Bavaria was BMW’s bold attempt to redefine its market presence in a large way…or, perhaps more correctly, to redefine it’s large-car market presence in some way. What predated this design was the BMW 501 and 502 – the ‘Baroque Angels’ – which looked more like they were out of a black-and-white film than ready for the Jet Age by the time of the end of their production in the early 1960s. BMW took a break to get its Neue Klasse feet under it, then in the late 1960s introduced its new six-cylinder-powered 2500 and 2800 sedans. Moving into the 1970s, the M30s engine was punched out to 3.0 liters and the model was offered here as the Bavaria.
A handsome design in its own right, like the E12 and early E24s it suffered some teething pains before the the replacement models really caught fire in the early 1980s. Finding a clean Bavaria today is indeed quite a treat!
The Bavaria was BMW’s bold attempt to redefine its market presence in a large way…or, perhaps more correctly, to redefine it’s large-car market presence in some way. What predated this design was the BMW 501 and 502 – the ‘Baroque Angels’ – which looked more like they were out of a black-and-white film than ready for the Jet Age by the time of the end of their production in the early 1960s. BMW took a break to get its Neue Klasse feet under it, then in the late 1960s introduced its new six-cylinder-powered 2500 and 2800 sedans. Moving into the 1970s, the M30s engine was punched out to 3.0 liters and the model was offered here as the Bavaria.
A handsome design in its own right, like the E12 and early E24s it suffered some teething pains before the the replacement models really caught fire in the early 1980s. Finding a clean Bavaria today is indeed quite a treat!
I have a soft spot for the Bavaria. It’s not because it’s the best looking BMW from the 1970s, nor the fastest. It’s not the most collectable, either – but as a result, the Bavaria might just be the rarest of the 1970s BMWs. To me, I can appreciate this coming from a background of loving Audis – most of which are quite rare today. The look of the Bavaria is even very similar to the Audi 100, and like the 100 very few examples are left kicking around. Also like the Audi 100, people will always be glad to see it, and I’m sure many have stories involving Bavarias. As with the old Audis, it’ll be a mix of people who smile and immediately start to tell you their wonderful BMW story and the balance of the masses who simply ask “What is that?” But the Bavaria was nonetheless an important move for BMW, taking on the larger executive market with an upscale big-body 4-door and that famous M30 power:
Along with the 2002, the New Six was BMW’s first attempts at branching out to buyers of other luxury vehicle brands, most notably their domestic rival, Mercedes-Benz. Comprised of the E3 sedan and E9 coupe, the New Six was a bit of a different animal than the competition from Stuttgart, aimed more at the driver than those who were seeking a more cosseting driving experience. A number of variants were offered, with the top of the range being the 3.3 Li. This long-wheelbase model packed a 3.3 liter inline-6 packing 190 horsepower and sharp handling that would put BMW on the map for those looking for a more engaging luxury sedan. This 3.3 Li for sale in Freiburg, Germany is one of a handful of these high-end E3s built, with barely 30,000 miles from new.
When considering the large BMWs that preceded the 7-series, most in the U.S. will only remember the Bavaria like the 1974 example Paul wrote up the other day. But before the name Bavaria tipped its hat on these shores, BMW was importing both 2500 and 2800 sedans of the New Six platform. The E3 isn’t usually a fan favorite but it really did pave the way for models like the later 5 and 7-series cars; luxurious, sporting sedans. Largely forgotten and with most rusted to oblivion, today we have a neat 2800 that really ups the sport quotient of the E3:
