Time for our newest installment of “plain car, perfect condition.” The eta-engined BMWs are known for modestly improved efficiency and low-end torque, with their 2.7-liter inline sixes giving up almost 50hp to their shorter-stroked brethren while gaining over 20 lb-ft. They also came with a redline of 4800rpm, closer to that of a diesel truck than what we think of for a car with any sporting pretense. The increased torque provides an interesting driving experience and, combined with the E30’s inherently balanced chassis, the 325e can still provide plenty of smiles.
Engineered for commuting, etas typically rack up hundreds of thousands of miles, but this one has yet to break 12k. The outstanding condition paired with the rare Gazelle Beige, a creamy and subtle off-white, makes for an enticing E30. No, it may not have “is” at the end of it and the interior may be cloth, but it’s always fun to see like-new examples of basic models. The seller is right, prices for nice E30s are heading north faster than geese in spring, so even the humble 325e can command big money when in this truly exceptional condition.
Click for details: 1985 BMW 325e on eBay
Year: 1985
Model: 325e
Engine: 2.7 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 11,711 mi
Price: $16,999 OBO
We at Windy City Motorsports are very pleased to offer for sale this beautiful 1985 BMW 325e E30 coupe.
***Only 11,xxx Original & Certified Miles!
***Hard To Find “e” Model
***Rare & Unique Gazellenbeige Exterior
***Immaculate Tan Cloth Cockpit Still Looks, Feels, & Smells Like New
***Rust Free Body & Undercarriage With All Original VIN Tags Intact
***No Known Accidents Or Body Work
***Ice Cold A/C
***No Warning Lights Or Known Mechanical Issues
***Fires Right Up & Runs & Drives Like New
***Carfax Certified Vehicle!
***With Prices Of Clean E30’s Skyrocketing, This Is A Rare Opportunity For A Collector Or Enthusiast To Own One Of The Lowest Mileage E30’s For Sale In The US.
*******Free Nationwide Shipping Is Included In The BUY IT NOW Price!
The 325e Paul wrote up in June went for the best offer, somewhere below the $10.5k asking price. It had over 10 times the amount of miles as this car, so maybe the extra ~$7k isn’t so bad? I still think it’s pretty high for a 325e, but it’s tough to be surprised by anything with extremely low-mileage E30s these days. People want them and very few remain, so now we see what will likely be a perpetual flood tide for E30 values. If a few thousand here and there don’t matter much to you, this would be a lovely, fun commuter that’s just that little bit prettier and more interesting than the standard white E30.
-NR
It is always neat to see time machine cars so please keep posting! I think this car was something like $21k when new and they were slow by 1985 standards. For the car to only lose $4K in value after 30 years seems optimistic. I think it would take a really vanilla sort of person to want to fork out $17k for an “E” car.
Lol! Crackpipe at this price for an eta. Maybe for an IS with this mileage but no thanks. There’s a lot of cars I’d rather have at this price.
Like Rusty, the first thing that came to mind was the price when new? I can help but to wonder what a 4000 Quattro would fetch with the same miles?
I grew up driving one of these– in fact, mine was very similar with beige cloth sport seats and 5 spd. While HP numbers were very dull, the torque made it a very driveable car in traffic with impressive fuel economy for the day. They are certainly looking to wrench every dime out of this sale, however.
We saw a mint 4000 quattro with many more miles come close to this ask in 2013: https://germancarsforsaleblog.com/1985-audi-4000-quattro/
sold for $12,655
Actually, after further review, this is optioned exactly as my old 325e was with Gazelle Beige paint/ cloth sport seats/ 5spd. I originally thought it was white– wow, this is like Throwback Friday for me!