The ultra low mileage 1993 BMW 325i Convertible we featured back in January is up for sale again, with a lowered Buy It Now price of $28,500. Enough to move the metal this time around?
1993 BMW 325i Convertible on eBay – REVISIT
The below post originally appeared on our site January 16, 2013:
If you could buy a new E30 convertible, what would it be worth to you? The price of a new subcompact? Perhaps even a figure approaching $30,000? Well, the seller of final year E30 Convertible in Arizona seems to think more. This has to be the lowest mileage E30 I’ve ever seen and brings back fond memories of my youth, as my 325is was Alpine white with a tan leather trimmed interior.
Year: 1993
Model: 325i Convertible
Engine: 2.5 inline six
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 227 mi
Price: $42,900
1993 BMW 325i Convertible with 227 miles on eBay
ONLY 227 ACUTAL MILES!!! This gorgeous 325i convertible is in mint condition impeccably restored with all original or BMW genuine parts. It looks and drives like it just left the showroom. This unique car is a BMW enthusiast’s dream. It was one of the last E30 convertible models produced in December 1992. It has been stored in a garage and covered throughout its life. The original white paint and exterior are flawless. The original power convertible black top is in amazing condition, raising and lowering smoothly, and with a crystal clear rear window. The interior is beautifully maintained with perfectly conditioned leather. The condition of the dash and center console appear like new.
The original tan BMW floor mats are in great condition. They are near impossible to replace as BMW has discontinued production. I have included black genuine BMW mats to be used and kept the tan mats bagged to be included as well. The trunk is spotless and looks as though it has never been touched with the original jack and tool kit included as well as full size spare tire. The engine compartment and undercarriage of the car are in amazing condition. In fact the original rust preventative Cosmoline applied at the BMW factory is still present. The tires are brand new Falken 195/65 R14 complete with a full size spare.
I have replacement BBS hubs that originally came with the car at the time of delivery and four brand new genuine BMW hubs made for the original wheels. All original manuals and binder included. E30 3 series service manual included. All 325i convertible brochures available from the late 80s and 90s are included as well. All service documentation included. Services performed on the car in the last quarter of 2012 include:
Timing belt replaced
Genuine BMW oil filter and oil replacement
Clutch fluid replaced
Brake flush
Coolant flush
Windshield washer fluid replaced
Genuine BMW shock resistant convertible battery replaced
Replaced microswitch for automatic top
Fuel tank inspected and in excellent condition
Spark plugs in excellent condition
Brake pad calipers in excellent condition
BMW recalls performed
Just passed Arizona emissions without difficultyThis is an extraordinarily rare automobile with only 227 original miles and in mint condition. It is a collectors dream or a perfect addition as a weekend convertible. The purchase of this car is “as is†without warranty offered or returns. I will not accept PayPal and will only complete transaction by wire or cashiers check. A $5,000 deposit is required at the close of auction to hold car for 10 days. $500 of the deposit is nonrefundable if the transaction is not completed. Full payment totaling $42,900 is required within 10 days of close of auction. Please feel free to email with any further questions. I would be happy to show the car in person. The car is currently garaged in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In short, this is a great car at an astronomical price. I usually try and steer clear of being too negative with the values on cars we come across, but I honestly can’t see anyone ponying up over $42,000 for what was originally a car that retailed in the mid $30k range. Even the best E30 M3 will struggle to get to this price point, so you can imagine that Bimmerphiles would be hesitant to plunk down money on a what could be considered a lesser E30. It’s cool to look back and see how one of these came right out of the showroom, but if you bought a car like this at this price, would you drive it? I certainly would be hesitant. At somewhere around $15,000 or so, I’d be more apt to enjoy it as intended.
-Paul
I always shake my head at these owners who picked the wrong car to mothball and then want top dollar. This isn’t a museum piece and with only 227 miles it probably needs a heckuva lot of maintenance in spite of its appearance. Assuming that it needed NOTHING I could see paying $20k MAX and using it as intended.
This e30 is NOT a 1993, or even a 1992. This type of car was not made in 1993 and only the 4-doors were made in early 1992. This is most likely a 1991 model e30.
Also, 227k miles is a lot, my family has had multiple e30’s even a 325ix and never paid over 5-6k for one even in excellent condition. The seller will never get 44k for this car. Every enthusiast knows that this car is not worth that price, regardless of its immaculate condition.
Zach, this is a 1993 model. While the E36 sedan came out (in the USA) in 1992, the E36 coupe hit the US around 1 year later IIRC but the convertible was still the E30 until the E36 convertible finally arrived for 1994. Also, it has 227 miles, not 227,000.
The window sticker on my ’90 325is was almost $30K. I wonder how much the premium for the convertible would have been 3 years later? Still, $44K is way too much money for this car. I love E30s (we had 4 of them in the family) but I couldn’t see paying this kind of money for a non-M.
Agree with Wes. He will be lucky to get $20K. Just too many nice alternatives out there for the money.
The seller should have picked up a 1991 M3 instead. It was originally priced within a few thousand dollars of this 325i.
INSANE ask. I think folks are spot on 20k would be a staggering price for a regular E30 convertible. 44k would get you a MINT E30 M3, even at that price it is a hard sell when you can get a great E30 for 25k or one you can love and drive for sub 20.
$40k for a 325i from 1993?
Don’t people realize that low miles doesn’t equal astronomical prices automatically. Idiots.
The more I think about this car the more contemptuous I am of its owner. Sure, if he is collecting cars he has money to burn but he invested about $36,320 (1993 325ic base msrp) on a vehicle that 20 years later is worth $20,000 on a great day… and he never even got to enjoy it! What a numbnuts.
The seller, obviously, priced this car as a museum thing, designated for exactly collection storing.
For daily using it would able to buy at least 3 “normal” cars for annonced price and getting a bulk of driving with them.
The original $40,000 asking was far ahead of the market, but for $28,000 this 3er should make for a nice long-term investment piece. Imagine what cars on the road will be like in another 15 or 20 years- will anything be as trim and nimble as this, with a ragtop, and a manual six speed? And with 227 original miles? Not something that I would consider to be a losing proposition, at least for the next owner of this vehicle.
Oh, Mike, you must be on drugs. There’s absolutely no way this vehicle would appreciate any meaningful amount in 10 or 20 years. The only thing it has going for it is that it has less than 300 miles. Every mile driven decreases whatever value it has further. It simply isn’t a special car and saving it as such was BEYOND foolish. And only a bigger fool would buy it for any of the prices at which it has been offered. But there’s gotta be at least one more fool out there so there’s that.
@Flavio: I would imagine that you have some sort of experience in investment-quality cars, because you write in a tone which implies that any opinion contrary to your own is idiotic. I think your words are absurd to the point of arrogance- the market has shown in the past that prices on vintage cars can fluctuate unexpectedly and within a relatively finite amount of time. Just ask any 3.0CS or Pagoda SL owner. I am willing to bet that new cars will cease to exist in such a configuration 20 years from now, which may or may not be self-evident; however, the value of this vehicle will undoubtedly rise in coming years as the remaining road-worthy E30s are either crashed, junked, or rusted away.
I once spoke to a Cadillac collector who told me about a 100% original, sub-1000 mile Coupe deVille he had just sold to another gentleman at a market-setting rate. I’m paraphrasing, but he said something that stuck: “There’s nothing particularly rare about this car, given that Cadillac produced tens of thousands of them; but when you’re talking about one with these options, in this color combination, and with less than a thousand original miles is when collectability starts.” I imagine the same thing will happen with these BMWs in the future.
not another one of these “low miles? I’ll charge a ridiculous insane price for an old outdated car” ads.