Wanderlust

Tag: 3-series

  • European Market Find: 1994 BMW Individual Violet Blue 318is Coupé in Switzerland

    European Market Find: 1994 BMW Individual Violet Blue 318is Coupé in Switzerland

    What: 1994 BMW 318is Coupé
    Color: Violet Blue Metallic (violettblau; non-metallic; 528; BMW)
    VIN: WBABE51000JG28978
    Mileage: 83,890 km / 52,126 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: CHF 22,900 (est. $25,928)
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Noville, Switzerland
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    However special or deep the options list may have been for European market BMW buyers in the 1990s, cars remained expensive to own and operate. Seeing an exceedingly well appointed and appreciable specification with a small displacement engine wasn’t uncommon, which is how you end up with such a special build on what would otherwise be a more mundane BMW model.

    Yes, this is a 318, which means just the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder. However, visually it’s full-on M-spec M3 with all of the proper body kit, wheels and more. Even better, it’s got BMW Individual Violet Blue paint and very tastefully coordinated sport cloth interior. On top of all that, it’s a manual.

    Back then, it was BMW allowing you to have an M3 without the money or the pace of an M3. Today, that advantage remains the same, because if this were an M3 Coupé in like condition it would be anywhere from double, triple or possibly nearly quadruple the price!

    For the collector, we’d suggest buying it and leaving it the way it is while enjoying the great chassis. And, if you got tired of the slow pace, you could probably swap a more potent M-spec engine into it and not lose any money. Either way, we’d count that as a win.

    As with any of our European Market Finds, this car is older than 25 years, making it an easy import into the U.S.A. should you be so inclined. Notably, this car is in Switzerland, which is an interesting pocket in the European space. Switzerland hasn’t adopted the Euro, meaning you don’t often find Swiss cars in the typical European sales channels. They also tend to be well kept.

  • Color Check: Alpina B3 GT in BMW Individual Daytona Violet

    Color Check: Alpina B3 GT in BMW Individual Daytona Violet

    Firms like Alpina operate in an interesting space. While competing with a broad aftermarket, Alpina and peers like RUF, ABT Sportsline and others are more than just body kit manufacturers or “tuners” in the traditional sense. They’re more of a reimagineer of current cars, and Alpina in particular has long been a brand that will take your new BMW and make it even more tailored to suit your personality or performance needs. We like covering them, but like even more when they build a car based on a more tailored color like BMW Daytona Violet Metallic (daytonaviolett metallic; metallic UNI; 283; BMW Individual).

    We don’t have a whole lot on the specification of the car beyond the model, B3 GT – i.e. based on the BMW 3 series) and the color that Alpina confirmed in their social media post that went with the photo set. Nevertheless, we wanted to share it. Check out more information in the aforementioned post that we’ve embedded above.

  • European Market Find: Restored 1980 BMW 323i in Biscay Blue

    European Market Find: Restored 1980 BMW 323i in Biscay Blue

    What: 1980 BMW 323i
    Color: Biscay Blue (biscayblaau; non-metallic; 140; BMW)
    VIN: Unknown
    Mileage: 115,000 km (71,457 mi)
    Price at Time of this Writing: € 29.999
    CarFax: N/A
    MonroneyLabels.com Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Palm Harbor, FL
    Private party seller listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Though not as iconic as the 2002 that came before it, nor as loved by enthusiasts as the E30 that came after it, BMW’s E21 3-Series still captures that classic 80s BMW style and makes for an excellent driver… particularly in top-of-the-heap 323i form. Alas, we didn’t get the 323i in the States, which means you have to look in Europe for cars like this private party listed example from Haren, Germany.

    Likely its color, Biscay Blue, wasn’t a BMW Individual specification but rather simply a color that is exceedingly rare today. In this case, it’s also a respray as perusal of the listing will show in both description and ample photography you don’t always find in a European mass market listing. That it also has Alpina kit like those wheels and wooden shift knob doesn’t hurt either.

    Check out the full listing description below, and a mix of photos below that. For the full mix of photos and further details, check out the link above.

    We offer here on behalf of the customer a fully restored BMW E21 323i in the rare and beautiful color Biscay blue with black leather interior for sale.

    As usual with these European market finds, a car older than 25 years is easily importable into the United States (15 years for Canada). Our European Market Find listings take this into account, only focusing on cars old enough for easy import. Any number of companies out there cater to American buyers seeking to bring vehicles such as this one here to North America.

    Details:
    • Engine REVISED incl. attachments, timing belt and water pump
    • Bilstein chassis with H&R lowering springs, HA height adjustable
    • Rims from OZ King 6 & 7×15 with 195/50R15 and 205/50R15 Hankook
    • Alcantara canopy
    • ESD BOSI
    • With TÜV, H license plate, accident-free, approved, restored and ready to drive immediately.
    • Extensively and expertly restored.
    • (German) vehicle documents, TÜV and service reports.
    • The restoration was documented with photos.
    • Expertly completely repainted.
    • New tires and brake system.
    • Hollow sealed and preserved underbody.
    • With sunroof and radio.
    • Very good overall condition.

  • Market Find: BMW Individual Bronzit Metallic 323ti Sport Edition

    Market Find: BMW Individual Bronzit Metallic 323ti Sport Edition

    When you think of the auto show circuit, chances are the Geneva Motor Show comes to mind. Before COVID turned the world on its head, Geneva in March was must-see TV for auto enthusiasts around the world. Manufacturers would bring concepts and incredibly high spec builds, all positioned atop 7 to 8 figure booths, in an attempt to gain as many eyeballs as possible. This Tailored Driver is especially special to us because per the seller, it happened to be on BMWs booth in 1998.

    Yes, adjacent to the then new E46 generation 3 series sat this BMW Individual Bronzit Metallic (bronzit; metallic; 139; BMW) 323ti Sport Edition (VIN: unknown). While we can’t seem to find any images to support this claim, we certainly can picture this sitting under the lights, being crawled over by journalists, customers, and engineers from competing companies all the same. BMW Individual Bronzit Metallic really pops here in the most late-90s way possible.

    Since it left that show in Switzerland, this BMW Individual Bronzit Metallic 323ti Sport Edition has covered an impressive 345,000 km (214,000 mi), and so far as we can tell remained in good visible shape and largely unmodified apart from a Supersprint exhaust. With a slightly dipping Euro to USD ratio, the asking price of 9,900EUR (about $10,800 at time of writing) makes it a pretty interesting proposition too.

    If you’re ready to own a piece of history, you can find additional details here.

  • Market Find: 1995 BMW M3 Coupe (E36) in Daytona Violet

    Market Find: 1995 BMW M3 Coupe (E36) in Daytona Violet

    The E36 generation of BMW M3 is a modern young timer classic, meaning any clean and modestly-miled up specimen is likely to draw a premium. Throw in special paint such as BMW Individual Daytona Violet (daytonaviolett; metallic; 283; BMW) and now you have something extra special. Take for example this 1995 M3 Coupe we’ve just run across.

    There’s something about the E36. It lacks the 80s-tastic box flares of the E30 M3, or the truly unique M3 cues of the E46. Instead, like other performance cars of the early 90s (looking at you Porsche 964, Audi S2 or Volkswagen Golf VR6 Highline), it’s understated enough that casual observers might have a hard time picking it out of a lineup of lesser yet well-kitted 3 series models. Well… maybe lesser models in normal colors.

    This specific M3 Coupe isn’t just interesting because of its spec. If you decide you want it, it’s also going to be interesting to get transact upon. Why? Well, it’s located not far from Cannes, France. So, you’d have to import it.

    On the downside, it’s a U.S. spec car meaning less horsepower. On the upside, U.S. spec cars tend to hold their value better when resold in the American market, and we’re guessing any importation duties were paid back in 1995 when BMW brought the car into the U.S.A. in the first place. You don’t have to pay those duties a second time.

    Not paying a second round of duties is a bonus you wouldn’t enjoy on a European spec car, though we doubt it’ll cover your shipping. You’d also have to find someone to import it at the very least. For that we’d suggest Orchid Euro in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Orchid specializes in importation of cars older than 25 years, uses automotive transport vessels rather than risking it shipping in containers, and has a network of people in Europe who can get eyes on and even handle transport to the port of Emden, Germany from which they ship. That all comes with a fee, but we’ve found them to be reasonable and have used their services ourselves.

    So, interested in chasing this M3 down? You can find it listed HERE.

    Editor’s note: while not a BMW Individual build, Daytona Violet was a one year only color, with just 519 sold in the US. As such, we found it a fitting addition to our records, and a vehicle well worth featuring.

  • Market Find: Sea Green BMW Individual 328i Convertible

    Market Find: Sea Green BMW Individual 328i Convertible

    To summarize a point often made during these early days of Tailored Driver– green is good. When paired with a price of entry that’s not completely out of most budgets, it’s even better. But for this one, you’ll need to bring a boat.

    Finished in BMW Individual Sea Green Metallic (seagrün; metallic; 393; BMW) and paired with green leather seats and matching soft top, this BMW triples down on a good thing. While not the full ITB experience of a euro-market M3, this 328i sports the M appearance package and a manual transmission which will be a lot easier to maintain properly with parts easily found stateside.

    At time of writing, this Tailored Driver has an asking price of €16,999 and is located in Hamburg, Germany. At current exchange rates, that’s about $18,750 plus shipping and handling.

    Check out the full listing on Mobile.de.

  • Market Find: BMW Individual Phoenix Yellow 325i

    Market Find: BMW Individual Phoenix Yellow 325i

    Our first formal Market Find is somewhat of an oddity, which we find quite fitting.

    This 2004 BMW 325i convertible is not only a lower spec trim level within the E46 generation 3 series playbook, but the original tailor opted for the ever controversial shade of Phoenix Yellow from the range topping M3.

    Life has happened to this example, and the disclosed Rebuilt title is proof of that. But we prefer dreams to be not just in the heads of our compatriots, but also on the road.

    For the $5,500 asked at time of writing, this could just be the cheapest one way ticket to becoming a Tailored Driver.

    Find it here on Facebook Marketplace.