Ah, the internet. As I often say to my history students, back in the ancient times people actually had to go to a library to look up facts. Take production data, for example. Let’s say you wanted to know how many of a particular model were made. Well, you could phone the manufacturer, which probably wouldn’t get you anywhere. You might head to a knowledgeable dealer, but they’d probably lose interest as soon as it became clear you weren’t there to actually buy anything. You could write the manufacturer and hope for a correspondence back – probably in a few months. Or, if you were quite rich, you could hop on a plane and head to the company’s headquarters, hoping to be allowed in to the archives. But now, on a seemingly daily basis, more information is added to the nebula which is the internet. Some of it is true, some of it is false, and some is misinterpreted. As I say to my students, know your source. If you’re relying on the NBC Nightly News for your facts, for example, you might find that Brian Williams hand-built this E9 himself. Too soon?
Category: BMW
For years, the BMW E21 3 series sort of languished by the wayside. If there ever was an annals of unloved BMWs (admittedly a short list) you could have included this very car. However, with the popularity of this car’s replacement, the E30 3 series, taking off, those wanting to go their own way might be intrigued by the first 3 series. It’s not the fastest or most glamourous of Bimmers, but it represents a period of transition for the marque that would set up the company to go from strength to strength in the years to come. This mint 320is for sale in Spokane, Washington has just over 40,000 miles on the clock. Silver over black isn’t the most exciting of colors but it does little to date the look of this early 3er.
Click for details: 1981 BMW 320is on eBay
7 CommentsThe E30 Touring is among the tastiest variety of European forbidden fruit. I first laid eyes on one in an issue of EVO magazine some years ago and I’ve been a fan ever since. The story goes that BMW engineer Max Reisböck was worried about having enough space to go on holiday with his expanding family and so he fabricated a long roof from a wrecked E30 sedan. Just think about that for a second, a guy built this car without the knowledge or backing of management and here it is today, one of the most coveted vehicles of the era among BMW enthusiasts. Without that passion to go out and just make things happen, who knows if BMW would have ever gone on to build some of the best looking wagons of all time.
Its silhouette is as good looking today as it was when it first debuted in 1988, unlike some other wagons of the era. Though red is one of my least favorite colors on any car, here it’s kinda working for me. I don’t know why but the combo of the tuning fork Fox Racing wheels and the Red exterior just make the car enjoyably quirky. Further upping the quirk factor is the fact that this car is a RHD model, which combined with the 5 speed manual acts as a fantastic theft deterrent. I’ve never had the opportunity pilot a vehicle from the right side but I’m sure hoping that changes in the near future because doing so unlocks the level 5 enthusaist badge, or so I’ve been told.
Click for details: 1990 BMW 318i Touring on eBay
4 CommentsDo you want to stand out in the vintage German crowd? There are plenty of expensive ways; drop a couple of million on a barn find 300SL Gullwing and everyone will be talking about you. But, say you don’t have a few million? Well, even for the modest budgeted enthusiast, many of the classics are heading out of reach. In the world of BMWs, vintage 3.0s are heading towards six figures for the best examples and even the 2002 – the car that started the craze of BMW’s sport sedan heritage – can be an expensive proposition for an average enthusiast. If you want a really nice example, you’ll be spending between $25,000 and $30,000 for a good carburetor example. Tiis are even more highly sought, pushing $50,000 for the best examples. Even a top condition lowly Isetta can run over $40,000. That doesn’t mean you’re pushed out of the classic BMW market if you’re not made of money; witness the BMW 2000, the semi-forgotten sports sedan that shared much of its architecture with the 2002 but offers 4-door sports sedan practicality:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1967 BMW 2000 on eBay
Comments closedWhen it rains, it pours. The BMW E30 325ix was not a huge seller during its lifetime and of course fewer examples exists today. Over 2.3 million E30s were produced, of which less than 30,000 had the “ix” suffix on their decklid. We’ve seen several clean examples over the last two weeks, both in sedan and coupe form. This 1989 325ix sedan comes to us from our reader Mike. This was originally an automatic car but received a 5-speed manual swap. For a car with just over 170,000 miles, it is a real minter and wears its original paint. This is one you surely won’t miss as it tears its way through the snow drifts.