What: 1997 BMW M3 Coupe Color: Gulf Blue (code source unknown) VIN: WBSBG9325VEY75602 Mileage: 136,000 miles Price: $28,000 with 1 Day left to bid at time of writing CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Cincinatti, OH Link: Bring a Trailer
Though not an uncommon color by any stretch, we can’t say we’ve ever seen Gulf Blue on a BMW before. Worth noting then, the car you see here isn’t some über rare BMW Individual build but rather an extensive respray.
We’re typically pretty strict about resprays. We definitely cover them, but prefer to focus on cars that appear to have gone to great lengths to make the new color appear factory and without going too far overboard with modifications. According to the BaT listing, the work on this car totaled $60,000 with Precision Sport Industries in Oviedo, FL.
On the outside, the car looks like a BMW Individual factory car. Inside, changes are more extensive including removal of the rear seat, a half cage, aftermarket steering wheel, stereo, Recaro seats and more. Whether or not that’s for you, or whether you try to find a clean Vader interior is really up to you, but we think it’s pretty wonderfully unique regardless.
Oh, we almost forgot to mention, the overhaul also includes an upgraded S54 engine. Added kit goes well beyond this though, so check out that listing for all the details.
What: 1997 Range Rover 4.6 HSE Vitesse Color: AA Yellow (aayellow; non-metallic UNI; 559 / FMB; Land Rover) Chassis: SALPV1441VA350282 Mileage: 28,000 miles CurrentPrice: $15,000 at time of publication Location: Costa Mesa, CA Listing: Bring a Trailer
In 1997, Land Rover made a limited run Range Rover 4.6 HSE Vitesse editions. 250 were built, in either red or yellow. The high-impact yellow, as you can see here, is known as AA Yellow. It was paired with Ash Black leather.
This example is a clean and low mileage example with just 28,000 miles logged.
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: 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo S Color: Porsche Paint to Sample Viola Metallic (violametallic; metallic Uni; L39G; Porsche) VIN: WP0AC2994VS375765 Mileage: 26,000 miles Price: Sealed Bid CarFax:Link Window Sticker: Link Location: Deerfield Beach, FL Link: RM Sotheby’s
As measured by its Viola Metallic paint, this Porsche 911 Turbo S delivered new to Brumos Porsche is one of just three U.S. market cars to get this color. Now pair it with its unique interior specification and it is believed to be one-of-one.
While the paint is self explanatory when viewing these incredible shots provided by RM Sotheby’s, the interior is worth lingering on for a bit more detail. Leather is special Rubicon Grey leather that, to our eye, looks quite lavender in these photos. Does that qualify this car as tone-on-tone purple-on-purple?
Even better, the interior doesn’t just stop at the unique hue of the leather. Porsche Exclusive extended leather abounds, including the heated and power-adjustable 993-era racing-style sport seats. Deviated stitching in Speed Yellow and Speed Yellow seat belts tie in the yellow of the brake calipers, not to mention pop as accents on a purple background given yellow and purple are color spectrum opposites.
Other interior equipment includes carbon fiber interior trim on the dashboard, door panels, door pulls, and Tequipment shift knob and emergency brake handle. Other equipment includes power sunroof, staggered light alloy wheels, Digital Sound Packag, embossed headrests and Litronic headlights.
What: 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo Color: Porsche Slate Grey(schiefergraumetallic; metallic UNI; 22D; Porsche) VIN: WP0AC2992VS375554 Mileage: 41,500 miles Estimated: $280,000 – $320,000 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: Link Location: The Amelia Auction, Amelia Island, FL Link: Broad Arrow
If Porsche Club of America’s Rennbow color archive is accurate, Slate Grey Metallic wasn’t a standard color on a 1997 911 Turbo (type 993). Rennbow has it down as offered to 1995, then returning in 1999. If true, that would make the car you see here technically a Paint to Sample specimen. Broad Arrow, the auction house planning to sell it this weekend during the concours weekend at The Amelia has it listed simply as “rare”.
Whatever. It’s handsome. It’s also interesting in that it’s a metallic take on a classic color. In fact, Porsche has several colors known as “Slate Grey”. There’s the original non-metallic driven into the Le Mans city center by Steve McQueen in the opening sequence of Le Mans, and also Slate Grey Neo reintroduced as part of the launch of the hybridized 911 GTS (type 92.2). In the era of the 993 though, Porsche had added metallic flake.
In the case of this car, it’s one of 612 Turbos sold to the U.S. in 1997. Broad Arrow suggests “just over a handful” were painted Slate Grey Metallic. It was delivered new through Stead Motors in Walnut Creek, California. Options included metal door sills with insignia, black floor mats, plus self-dimming mirrors & rain sensor. We’re also seeing leather on the dashboard and rare Porsche Tequipment pieces like the partial aluminum shift knob and e-brake lever with Porsche script.
The car sells this coming weekend, so if you’re game then get to The Amelia or make arrangements to bid from afar.
Perhaps one of the more interesting items featured on Tailored Driver, this short wheelbase E38 generation 750i is equal parts enticing and terrifying. Want luxury? The BMW Individual Blue interior on this E38 has no shortage of it, from the Lay-Z-Boy style front buckets, to the center console mounted telephone, and the certainly very out of date Navigation/Cassette player combo. Love internal combustion? Great- twelve cylinders mean fuel will combust internally quite often. Sure, reliability will be questionable even with a running tab at your local BMW specialist, but it’ll be guaranteed to get a reaction out of even the most casual of observers.
What: 1997 Porsche 911 Carrera S Color: Porsche Blue Turquoise(blautürkis; non-metallic Uni; J1; Porsche) VIN: WP0ZZZ99ZVS313771 Mileage: 26,000 km, 16,155 miles Price Estimate: $250,000 to $300,000 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Gooding & Company Amelia Island Auction 2025, Amelia Island, FL Listing: Link
Though striking, Blue Turquoise was a standard color during the 993-era 911. Nevertheless, it was relatively rare and even more rare when you consider details like Midnight Blue interior and color-matched wheels. That’s the case on this rest of world (ROW) example of a Porsche 911 Carrera S ordered by Mizwa, Porsche’s Japanese distributor.
AT 26,000 km logged, this is an extremely low mileage car. Options include a Tiptronic S automatic transmission, air conditioning, those aforementioned painted wheel centers, tinted windscreen, electric seats, rear window wiper, multi-function display trip computer, lowered suspension, and “other features specific to the Japanese market” according to Gooding.
One non-factory upgrade worth noting is the radio. The original factory radio has been replaced with a Porsche Classic unit.
What: 1997 BMW 540i Color: BMW Individual Aubergine(aubergine; non-metallic UNI; 348; BMW) VIN: unknown Mileage: 115,000 miles Price: $11,000 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Fair Lawn, NJ Listing: Link
We’re fond of tone on tone cars, wearing the same color on the inside as they do on the outside. White on white was popular in the 80s, blue on blue isn’t that uncommon, F40s were red on red, and green on green happens. Purple on purple though, that’s almost never seen… and yet here one is in the form of a 1997 BMW 540i that is purple inside and out.
Technically, this color is Aubergine, the BMW version and not the Porsche version that appears to be darker. Some quick research shows remarkably that this wasn’t the only one built to this spec. Even still, it sounds like two or three may have been sold here in the USA. Even that begs the question on how two or three buyers would have landed on a color combination so unique. They all appear to be 540i configurations, though not all have automatic transmissions as does this car.
Is there more to the story? We haven’t found it yet, but suspect there is. In the meantime, this car is an excellent example of an affordable tailored driver. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine a car this unique at an approachable price, but they happen and this purple on purple E39 is proof positive of that.
Bonus points to the seller for both knowing the paint name and sharing a photo of the factory decal confirming it.
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.
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.
