What: 1994 BMW M3 Coupe Color: BMW Individual Daytona Violet(daytonaviolett; metallic uni; 283; BMW) VIN: N/A Mileage: 150,000 km Price: €36,999 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Görlitz, Germany Link: Mobile.de
If an E36 BMW M3 Coupe isn’t on your bucket list of 1990s cars then we need to have an intervention. If you already like E36 M3s then read ahead with interest. If you’re not, well, be prepared to be won over.
What’s that, purples like Daytona Violet aren’t your thing? Okay, we’ll give you a pass on that one. Purple’s aren’t for everyone. But, if they were, then we suspect BMW Individual Daytona Violet is up there when it comes to likable purples.
Now throw in a manual transmission, well-kept vader seats and black leather and you have a really incredible specification. This one’s located private party in Europe, so you’ll need to import it.
What: 1998 BMW 328i Touring Color: BMW Individual Atlantis Metallic (atlantisblau; metallic uni; 322; BMW) VIN: WBACF11090EV10413 Mileage: 160,000 kilometers, ~99,000 miles Price: GBP £3,800 at time of publication CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Gussage All Saints, United Kingdom Listing: Bring a Trailer
Here’s an interesting long roof we’ve found on Bring a Trailer. The car is a BMW Individual 328i wagon from the E36 era. Special painted Atlantis Metallic over black leather, it sports the European specification M52 inline six-cylinder with five-speed manual transmission.
The car is a great specification, including left-hand-drive configuration. Even though it’s in the UK, it’s under a Polish registration. So, any American buyer will need to import it, but at least the steering wheel is on the proper side.
What: 1997 BMW 316ti Color: BMW Individual Santorini Blue(santorinblauii; non-metallic uni; 327; BMW) VIN: N/A Mileage: 229,000 km Price: €2,100 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Salzgitter, Germany Link: Mobile.de
Tailored Driver strives to be of the people and by the people. So while it’d be really easy to just post blank-check Porsche GT variants all day long, we’d rather dig in the proverbial crates for stuff you can actually attain. The latest example of that is this E36 316ti, finished in Santorini Blue and currently on offer for a scant €2,100. Is it rough? Depends on your definition, but we do spot some rust near the rear driver’s side wheel arch. Does it need some ‘help’? Yeah, save for an M3 front bumper, some wheels, and suspension. Will it be slow? If you have to ask… yes, painfully. But an iconic color at a budget price doesn’t come around every day.
What: 1999 BMW M3 Evolution Convertible Color: BMW Individual Violet Blue(violettblau; non-metallic; 528; BMW)) Chassis #: WBSBK920X0EX67158 Mileage: 46,400mi Price: Auction CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Ryan Friedman Motorcars, Glen Cove, NY Auction Link:Link
Why We Love It:
The M3 we didn’t get, in a color we couldn’t- there’s a ton to like here. Sure the E36 generation’s M3 was offered in the US, but to many enthusiasts (or snobs), the S52 that powered it wasn’t really an M motor, just a 328i motor that’d been hot rodded a bit. Regardless of opinion, this M3 has the full-fat M3 Evo motor, and more importantly, the 6 speed manual that was specific to the Evo version. Further adding to the conversation is that this Tailored Driver is a right hand drive version, and a convertible- hardly the hardcore enthusiast’s choice. But to us, this represents a great opportunity to get in the Tailored market with a genuinely cool car.
What: 1997 BMW 316ti Compact Color: Fiji Green (fidschigrün; non-metallic; 413; Porsche) Interior: Black and Yellow VIN: N/A Mileage: 99,000 km / 61,515 miles Price at Time of this Writing: € 18,000 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Erkner, Germany Private Party Listing:Link
Why we love mention it:
This color combination isn’t for everybody, but we suspect anyone who fully embraces automotive trends of the 1990s, particularly the quirkier German side of those trends, then we think you’ll love this car.
The E36-generation BMW 3-Series “Compact” you see here is reportedly one-of-one. While exceptionally rare, the striking and more-saturated-than-mint-green Fiji Green paint doesn’t quite get it one-of-one status. However, that two-tone black and yellow interior likely does.
We’ll share the car’s listing (translated to English by Google) below, and in that you’ll note the mention of its presence at the Essen Motor Show. Given this car is far from a tuner special, we’re guessing it was displayed there in period as part of a BMW brand stand. In that time period, the German manufacturers would often show up with some entirely stock but still radically built cars by their internal tailoring departments. BMW Individual appears to have had at it with this one, though curiously built in a relatively tame drivetrain configuration.
For starters, there’s an automatic transmission. Next, the ad doesn’t confirm which motor it is by name, but the power figures suggest it’s a 316 (so drop us a note if we’re wrong on that one). Whatever, it’s still a very interesting car that’s been owned by the same owner since 2000. For the BMW collector who has everything, we’re guessing they don’t have one of these.
This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.
BEGIN TRANSLATED LISTING TEXT:
This vehicle has been in our possession since 11/2000, and there have been plenty of documents since then. As well as all keys
The vehicle is professionally polished and ceramic sealed. Original paint documented
The vehicle was last exhibited at the Essen Motor Show.
Connoisseurs know what this is. In very excellent condition.
Proven to have been parked in the garage since 11/2000.
In summer 2024, the original chassis was replaced by a Bilstein B6 with new standard springs, including strut mounts and coupling rods.
09/24 air conditioning service, ~150g filled, full at over 800g filling weight
Private sale, no emergency sale, happy to go to collectors or enthusiasts.
The vehicle was actually invited to the 50th anniversary of the BMW 3 Series event at Lake Como in 2025, but I cannot attend due to a private appointment.
Differing ever so slightly from BMW’s Techno Violet, BMW Individual Madeira Violet Metallic is a visually stunning purple that can really play visual tricks depending on conditions. In some lighting, it almost appears to be BMW’s Cosmos Black due to the color’s blue and purple metallic flake. Whatever your interpretation of it, this BMW Individual Madeira Violet Metallic E36 ‘vert is the latest in European Market Finds that we feel represents good value for money, offering a way for the everyman or woman to dip their toe into the world of Tailored Driver. With the right importer like Orchid Euro, this could be landed, plated, and insured for well under $20,000.
For enthusiasts in the US, there’s often the opinion that while maybe we got a version, Europe ‘got the good one.’ While perhaps not the best representation of this sentiment, this Tailored Driver fits squarely into that category- bigger motor than was offered stateside, paired with a BMW Individual color. For those in the know, the 323i is a very interesting proposition in that it’s incredibly similar to the BMW Z3 coupe, albeit with a back seat. E36-generation from the firewall forward with an E30 rear subframe, this 323i will provide an exciting driving experience for whoever wins this Bring a Trailer auction. Please note, as this is a model year 2000 vehicle, it must be 25 years from the production date for trouble-free importation.
What: 1997 BMW M3 coupe Color: BMW Individual Aegean Blue Metallic (ägäischblau; metallic; 336; BMW)VIN: WBSBG91000EW36422 Mileage: 59,000 kilometers Price at Time of this Writing: €59,000 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: CarJager, Aix-en-Provence, France Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
Say it with us- BMW Individual Aegean Blue Metallic over Cream Nappa Leather. In 1997 this particular Tailored Driver was the choice of an M3 connoisseur, choosing the classiest of color combinations at their dealer and achieving a jaw-dropping finished product. Understandably the former custodians of this car loved looking at it, but it seems they liked looking more than spending time behind the wheel as the car has covered just 59,000km in it’s 28 years of existence.
Introduced in 1992 on the E36 M3, Estoril Blue (estorilblau; metallic; 335; BMW) has become one of the more memorable rad-era colors to come from BMW M. BMW shares that the color was inspired by the blues of Portugal where the Estoril racing circuit calls home. Whether it’s the cool blue surf of the Atlantic Ocean off the Portuguese coast or the almost always-clear skies overhead, the reference to Estoril definitely sticks. That BMW Motorsport in both two and four-wheeled forms has plenty of history with the Portuguese track doesn’t hurt either.
What: 1995 BMW M3 GT Color: British Racing Green (britischesrenngrün; non-metallic uni; 312 / 553; BMW Individual) VIN: WBSBF99040EA40109 Mileage: 101,900 Price at Time of this Writing: $51,000 Bid / 5 Days Left in Auction at Time of Writing CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: San Diego, CA Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
For E36 aficionados, what you’re looking at here may be one of the ultimate models – the European market only BMW M3 GT built exclusively in British Racing Green during the 1995 model year. The car was actually a homologation special, built to qualify the M3 for use in the FIA GT race series. Built only in coupé form, the M3 GT was powered by BMW’s S50B30 inline six tuned to 295 hp and sent power to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual. Production was limited to 356 units.
Other special equipment includes aluminum doors, special finish on the wheels, motorsport badges in various places, larger lip spoiler, larger adjustable trunk spoiler, sport steering wheel, black Alcantara interior with Mexico Green leather seat centers and red flecked carbon fiber.
At the time of writing, this car is still well south of the six figures where the M3 GTs usually price in. This car does show wear, including chips and scratches on the exterior, with more wear on the inside. How that affects its results in comparison to the $105,738 average we’re seeing at time of writing on Classic.com remains to be seen.
Given this car is on Cars & Bids, it has the advantage that Doug Demuro had a chance to review this specific car. Watch it in the video embedded here in this story.
