Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
As we start to finish up Wagon Week, let’s take a look at a car that’s been arriving on these shores at a solid clip now that many of them have reached 25 years old: the E30 Touring. But this Touring is a bit unique in that it is powered by the 2.4 liter turbo diesel engine. We featured this particular car earlier in the year and now it is back on offer, a perfect curiosity for oil burner BMW fan.
Scanning our Facebook page the other day, I came across a rather amusing comment in response to our LS1 powered M coupe: “haul a** much?†Well, that would certainly apply to this five-door specimen, the E63 AMG Estate. What seems an improbable creation to be sold in the US market has now been with us through a few generations, proving this cult car does have some staying power amongst the enthusiasts. And when a company like Cadillac all of a sudden decided to drop a V8 bomb in their CTS wagon, well, you know you are on to something. For sale at a Porsche dealer outside of Washington DC, this one is doing its best to blend in with a shade of burgundy.
You’ve probably noticed, but we have a few favorite specialty dealers here on GCFSB. One of which is 4Star Classics in Hampshire County, England. These folks really take the extra mile to present their vehicles well without making them overly glossy, which is a mistake made by many a forecourt. Good pictures and a comprehensive history go a long way towards moving the metal. So, continuing on with Wagon Week, let’s take a look at this immaculate 300TD for sale by this very dealer with under 40,000 miles. These are cars known for racking up epic mileage, so at this rate, we’re basically dealing with a new car in W123 terms. For fans of rowing their own, this is tasty number, as it comes equipped with a 4-speed manual; something we didn’t see much on these shores. Care to make a statement on the school run? This will have the hipsters drooling with envy.
Wagon Week is back here at GCFSB. We’ve decided to start off not with one of the high-horsepower hyper wagons the Germans are known for, but rather, a workhorse of sorts. With the end of W123 production in the mid 1980s, the W124, now named the E-class, would take over the middle of the lineup for Mercedes-Benz. The W123 estate was the first such mass produced vehicle for Mercedes-Benz, and the W124 range would include a successor for the 300TD. The W124 estate has now itself become a bit of an icon, representing the durability and magnificent engineering that Mercedes built their reputation on. This particular W124 estate was one that was not sold here, the 230TE. With a 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine, it won’t win any acceleration contests, but with the 5-speed manual gearbox, you’ll be able to make the most of the power it has.
I was driving to San Francisco on the picturesque I-280 last week in my E28, and came upon a nice E30 325i touring. I’m sure it was easily overlooked by the rest of the drivers on the road, but I approached it excitedly, wondering what enthusiast was driving this rare (to us) longroof. The middle-aged woman driving was unassuming, but she got major points in my book for car choice whether she knew it or not. The E30 Touring is becoming much more common as the 25-year block is lifted, and we’re all better for it. They’re attractive and utilitarian cars that lift the mean coolness of roads everywhere. Today’s is a simple 318i and mileage isn’t listed, but the AC Schnitzer wheels are a nice touch and overall it appears very clean. The lister has a host of E30 wagons in pictures, meaning you’re buying them from someone who realizes how cool having one of these in the US is. The flipside is that he also knows how much people have paid for them recently, and is charging over twice what a non-Touring 318i would cost.