I’ve written up some cool M1s, but this one may take the cake even from the Procar-widebodies if for no other reason than this is the M1 you see in the history books. Orange on black with that badass cloth/leather interior is what the E26 is all about. Add to that the fact that it’s from the badass Canepa Collection and has just 3,300 miles, and this is a frickin’ museum piece. Or it could be… I’m a much bigger fan of cars that are used. I’d construct one of those viewing rooms which the internet has seen made for E30 M3s and Ferraris; I’d soak in the glorious orange like it was a Seasonal Affective Disorder light and bust this thing out a few times a year for some fun.
Being an East Coaster, I look upon car enthusiasts in California with envy. Washington, DC isn’t really a car guy kind of town. There’s a lot of fancy new machinery tooling around the block here, but anyone can go out and buy a new car provided they have the resources. The classics, however, seem scarce. As such, it makes me lust after a modern classic like this BMW 318i Cabriolet even more, just to stand out from the herd. There seems to be a never ending supply of clean, rust-free classics on the left coast and this open-roofed Bimmer fits the description.
One of the most popular automotive forbidden fruits for US car enthusiasts is the BMW E30 3 series Touring. Now over 25 years old and eligible for importation, it seems that a steady stream of these small estate cars are arriving on these shores. For E30 fans who may have given up their beloved rides years ago with the pressures of family and a changing lifestyle, this car solves many of those space needs. There was even a four-wheel drive variant available for those who may need added traction, but we have yet to come across one in the US. Imported from England last year, this right-hand drive 1988 325i Touring for sale in Florida is an original car with some tasteful modifications.
It’s been a while since we took a look at the M5’s grandfather; the E12 M535i. Produced for a short time, the M535i was really the M-division’s first attempt at a production road car. It was more than just a prettying up as many of the “M-sport” packages are these days, too – featuring a limited slip differential, a close-ratio 5-speed manual, a host of not-so-discrete aerodynamic upgrades, some great BBS Mahle wheels to dress it up and heavily bolstered Recaros to keep you in place, the M535 looked like a natural racer. Back in the days when 200 horsepower was considered much more than adequate, these were one of the fastest sedans in the world, and one of the best handling, too. Rare to see for sale in North America, this particular model is available in Canada on Ebay today:
The BMW 320 IMSA racer we featured Monday got its fair share of attention, but if you are a fan of the street variety E21, check out this nicely preserved 1981 320i for sale in South Carolina. The car has been repainted in its original Cosmos Blue Metallic and comes with records for the entire life of the vehicle. If you’ve been searching for the right E21, this is one that deserves more than a passing glance.
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