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Tag: BMW

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1974 BMW Bavaria

Upon seeing this BMW Bavaria, I thought perhaps Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ BMW 3.0S was back up for sale again. For years, Mrs. Onassis tooled around Manhattan in one of these sedans. The 3.0S was the more luxurious version of what we see here. Importer Max Hoffman had convinced BMW to build a special model for the US market, with fewer options than other variants in the lineup but with the largest engine available. So what we’re looking at here is the forebear to many modern BMW performance sedans, a template that is going strong to this day. This Bavaria for sale in Florida is an older restoration and is equipped with the 3-speed automatic. Not the optimal combination for enthusiasts but fewer BMWs of this vintage come at a lower cost of entry.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1974 BMW Bavaria on eBay

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1997 BMW 318ti with S52 swap

I never understood why, but hatchback seems to be a dirty word in the US. So many of my friends eschew these vehicles, whether in three or five door form. Curiously, SUVs are popular here in the Land of the Free. So it seems Americans might not be all that averse to practicality, just as long as it is jacked up and classified as something more butch than your average passenger car. BMW dabbled with the idea of a hatchback 3 series for a number of years across two generations, however, only the E36 318ti, or Compact as it was known as, was sold stateside. While there were a number of different options you could spec a 318ti with, you had one choice of engine, the 1.9 liter inline-4. Customers in other markets, however, had access to the 2.5 liter inline-6 in the form of the 323ti. Enthusiasts took note of this and we’ve seen a number of six-cylinder ti swaps appear over time. This example for sale in Miami has an S52 from a 1999 M3 under the bonnet. It looks to be a rather tidy swap, with its look enhanced by the BBS RK alloys.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1997 BMW 318ti on eBay

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Unicorn Patrol: 2007 BMW 328xi Sport Wagon

Good news! I’ve found another “Unicorn” for your consideration. Now, truth told the E91 isn’t a particularly rare car. There are plenty up for sale every day of the week, since they are really just getting to the sweet spot where the first and (for early examples) second owners dump them. And of those that you can find for sale today, the all-wheel drive 328xi isn’t particularly rare, either. But what is not seen very often is the combination of those two factors plus a stick in the center console which can be articulated in 7 different positions. That’s right, we have a unicorn manual! Such is the unicorn status of this unicorn that “Unicorn” is even included in the sales title of the unicorn! You’d be forgiven for thinking that BMW dealers had a special option box that you could select for your unicorn badge.

Salesman: Now that you’ve selected all your other options, I’m going to tell you about one final “dealer special” option we can offer you – but it’s only for select, and discerning customers!
Rich Plebian: Uh, okay, what is it?
S: It’s the not offered to public “Unicorn” option
RP: “Unicorn”? Like, horned mythological beast?
S: Yes, exactly. The Unicorn Package is option code 785.
RP: Okay, what does it get me?
S: You get to tell everyone how unique your mass produced car is.
RP: Wait, it gives me special powers?
S: No, you just get to say that your car is more special than the other cars that are exactly like it.
RP: Well, people have always told me how special I am, so sign me up!

Thus, when it comes time to sell your unicorn package car, you too can tell everyone that this was the only one that’s like it! Except for the other ones that are like it. But don’t mind them. Let’s look at this one!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2007 BMW 328xi Sport Wagon on Philadelphia Craigslist

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1967 BMW-Glas 3000 V8 Fastback by Frua

There are always automotive “what ifs” that are really entertaining to consider. What if Audi had continued its Group B development mule which moved the turbocharged inline-5 to the middle of the car in order to better combat the likes of Lancia, Ford and Peugeot? Might the R8 have become a reality two generations earlier? What if Porsche had fully sussed out the Audi V8 in the back of the 964 instead of sticking with the flat-6? What if Mercedes-Benz hadn’t bought Chrysler and made a conscious decision to make their cars worse? These are but a few of interesting plot developments that could have spawned a Watchmen-esque alternate reality. The automotive landscape we look at could be entirely different. And to add one more potential to the plotline, what if BMW’s traditional design language was completely different? It’s pretty easy to spot the influences of the E9 and E10 in today’s car even though there have been massive changes. BMW even went to great lengths to try to convince consumers of today that there is lineage between the 2002 and the newly renamed 2-series. But what if BMW relied on Italian designer Pietro Frua to design their cars? Well, we would have gotten the 1971 Mustang a few years early, for one:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1967 BMW-Glas 3000 V8 Fastback by Frua

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1966 Glas 1700GT

Glas was one of those German automotive brands with limited reach that eventually got bought up by a larger company (BMW). But in the process, they were not only an innovator but created some attractive sports cars towards the end of their existence. The 1700GT was a larger engine derivative of the earlier 1300GT that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, packing the same four cylinder that appeared in the BMW 1600. These coupes bodies were designed by Frua, perfectly proportioned and appearing much larger than they actually were in person. Nowadays, these are a rather obscure classic but they have a bit of a cult following in Europe. This 1966 1700GT for sale in The Netherlands would be the final year this car would be badged as a Glas, as it would become the BMW 1600GT until its demise in 1968.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1966 Glas 1700GT on eBay

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