1991 BMW 325iX

The E30 is a new classic BMW. It replaced the E21 in 1982 and some models lasted until 1993. What made it so great wasn't just the minimalist, hyper functional styling by genius Claus Luthe. It was the combination of compact size, 6-cylinder power and rear wheel drive that made them a blast to drive.

The dimensions of the E30 really are a revelation. Here is a design that actually shows constraint, seemingly using as little sheet metal as possible. Taught, clean and no-nonsense. The pillars are thin and glass huge for maximum visibility inside and out. The whole thing is about the same size as a 1990s Honda Civic. Except it looks way better and drives a million times better.

Perhaps the next rarest E30 sold in the US after the M3 is the "iX" models that debuted in the late 80s and lasted until around 1991. These had full time permanent all-wheel drive, utilizing an open, all viscous 10-100% limited slip with three differentials. The torque was divided 37:63 with bias to the rear wheels to retain the rwd feel. The rear and center differential use viscous couplings to split torque, while the font was open.

Inside is one of the greatest interiors of all time. An oversized steering wheel, center console angled towards the driver, and simple white-on-black gauges make a statement that this machine means serious driving business. The leather seats are in unusually good shape. The seller says the dash has cracks but everything is functioning and there are no lights on.

Underneath the hood was BMW's venerable straight 6-cylinder that was good for almost 170 horsepower, which really helped propel this small car. What is gained in weight with the iX equipment is forgiven with the added traction.

The seller of this example is the third owner and has racked up 139k miles. They say it is car fax verified and still wears the original paint. Mechanically, they say everything works except the air conditioning, and a bunch of parts have been replaced. They also say it has a chip boost for extra horsepower, which is awesome, except they say 91 Octane fuel must be used, which should probably be used anyways. Since most were sold in foul weather climates were salt was used on roads, they have mostly rusted away, but this one seems to have survived. The seller says there is no rot except around the rear trailer hitch but they are having it repaired.

This was the debut of BMW's all wheel system and therefore holds a place in history. It's equally notable they were smart enough to put it on an already nifty car. The 'iX' cars got lost in a crowded field of German all-wheel cars with Audi's Quattro and Mercedes-Benz's 4Matic, but it'll still help you in bad weather. I owned an E46 325Xi with a similar system and loved it. These cars cut through rain and sleet like a knife. Parts and fuel will be expensive, but you're getting a car that BMW - or anybody else for that matter - just don't make anything like anymore. If kept up and driven carefully this could see another 100k miles.

Available here on craigslist for $5,900.

81k-Mile 1987 BMW 325i

The E30 is the definitive 3-series. It was unlike the E21 that came before and especially the E36 after. It also helped solidify the brand's status in the United States as a maker of great automobiles, and gave rival Mercedes-Benz some real competition against their W201 190. It's a New Classic.

These were produced from 1982-1993, otherwise known as the Reagan-Bush era. Sure, the E30 is the original yuppie mobile, but for all the right reasons: they were extremely solid, fun to drive and reliable. In fact, so well-built and relatively simple to fix were the E30 that Kiplinger's named them one of the top 10 Cars that Refuse to Die.

The body was designed by Claus Luthe and is an exercise in incredible restraint and detail. It's not quite boxy but definitely not round, the lines all laser-straight chiseled and crisp, and yet up close, the corners are softly rounded, like they were gently sanded and buffed by hand. The greenhouse is proportionally huge, making the windows look large and the space inside inviting, not to mention providing excellent visibility inside and out.

Inside, the interior is an all-business, no-nonsense, hyper-functional, driver-oriented paradise. The gauges are crystal clear white-over-black. The center console is angled towards the driver. Above the rearview mirror is an onboard service indicator that displays the status of vital systems through a red LED bargraph.

Underneath the hood is the timeless 2.5-litre inline six-cylinder engine providing a decent 168 horsepower to the rear wheels. This particular example is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Since they were commuter cars for the upwardly mobile, they were often driven hard then quickly traded in for the next flashy car, before they fell into multiple hands and eventually rusted away. As such, clean, low mileage examples are very, very difficult to find. The E30 M3 is already a collectible classic, so it's likely the regular coupes and sedans may follow.

This particular survivor defies the odds. The seller says this '87 325i has just 81,574 miles on the clock. Cosmetically, it looks amazing. It helps the grey/black color combination is perfect and flatters the exterior and interior shapes. The seller also says the body has no rust, a huge plus. They even say the paint is shiny and not faded.

Mechanically, they say it was regularly serviced, taken good care of and now "runs and drives great".

I want this car. As long as there is no rust and the seller can provide some proof of prior maintenance, the next owner (should it not be me), has my sincere envy. This puppy is good looking, fun to drive, relatively fuel efficient, simple to fix and reliable. It could very well see 181k miles without major problems, if the oil is changed regularly and it's driven carefully.

Available here on ebay in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for $8,495.

In the US: 1988 BMW 325ix Wagon

Oh winter! How you punish me with your freezing temperatures, relentless snow and overly sanded and salted roads. But how you give me reason to buy cars that would make the winter so much more bearble - at least when driving.

The E30 station wagon was never officially offered in North America, and only a handful have made their way here since through private importation. While Mercedes-Benz wagons are legendary, BMW variants are less so. They were never offered in diesels, and weren't introduced until the late 80s, so they never developed a cult following. But that doesn't mean they aren't as cool.

The E30 wagon is particularly neat because the E30 chassis is arguably one of the best BMW cars of all time. It's about the size of a Honda Civic, but with superior design and engineering.

This particular example is the first year they starting making the wagon body style, and it's utterly brilliant. The roof is extended and the rear slopes perfectly into the same taillights as sedan, coupe and convertible had. It also has a rear wiper.

As a cherry on top, this one is also equipped with BMW's first all-wheel drive system, simply denoted by the "x" in 325ix. BMW did not advertise this system as much as Audi did with Quattro and Mercedes with 4Matic, so it disappeared after the E30 and did not return until nearly a decade later with the E46 "xi" (of which I am a very happy owner). As an additional bonus, this one has a stick shift for those rally enthusiasts.

The U.S. government prohibits the private importation of vehicles newer than 25 years old for road use, but this puppy just turned 25 this year, so it should be here legally. The seller says it is exempt from DOT and EPA exempt, and can be registered as a classic vehicle.

Cosmetically, it seems to be wearing ugly aftermarket rims, but otherwise looks fine. The front black plastic spoiler is missing, a common flaw on these as they are usually taken out by road debris or parking blocks, and should be easy to replace.

Mechanically, the seller says it's a 1-owner vehicle with full maintenance, everything working, and no needs.

If this thing checks out with no rust and a clear title, you've got one really cool car for a bargain price.

Available here on ebay in New York for $6,999.

44k-Mile 1992 BMW 325iC M-Technic

Looking like it came right off the set of Miami Vice comes this '92 BMW with low miles and the rare M-Technic package.

The E30 really needs no introduction. It is perhaps THE definitive BMW of all time, blending the best of everything that came before it while looking to the future with new levels of performance and efficiency. These were compact, balanced, well-built and aesthetically near-perfect.

The convertible version was just icing on top.

This is a later example with a build date of 7/91 but sold as a model year 1992. The M-Technic package mostly adds just cosmetic changes: all formerly black plastic body trim is now "AlpinWeiss 2" paint, the front and rear gain lower spoilers and the sides get new lines. Foglamps are standard. The cross-spoke alloys are also white. This kind of all-white look was popular in the late 80s and early 90s and still looks striking and fresh today.

The interior is finished in an equally light "LotosWeiss" leather with all-black dashboard.

Under the hood is BMW's venerable 2.5-liter inline 6-cylinder powerplant producing a respectable 168 horsepower to the rear wheels and moved the modest 2,000 lb. weight along nicely.

Unfortunately for motoring purists, this one is mated to automatic transmission. But since these were Sunday boulevard cruisers anyways, a relaxing slushbox makes little difference.

Mechanically, at 29k the seller states a bunch of repairs were done. At 43k, a new power steering pump was added along with a regular tuneup.

This car seems to have been pampered, and if your heart is set on a E30, this well-kept and low mileage survivor could be the one.

Available here on ebay in Bellevue, Washington with bidding already past $7k.

Remember The Teuton: 1985 BMW 316 Baur TC

This is a very rare car. Both the engine and the roof treatment option were never offered in North America.

The body, however, is the classic and beloved E30 which we fortunately did get. It debuted in 1982 and lasted in some markets until 1994. The styling is brilliant. The car thoroughly improves on the E31, while still retaining core BMW themes. It's simple, but endlessly beguiling.The shape is relatively boxy, but up close each corner and edge is warmly curved like a fine gemstone. The fact that it was replaced by the totally different E36 only enchances the E30 in the eyes of fans and collectors

The 316 has a 1.6-litre inline four-cylinder SOHC piston engine that produced around 100 horsepower. This is no rocket ship. Thankfully, it's mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and powers the rear wheels. Fast? No. Sufficient, practical, and economical? Yes. Combined with the car's already demonstrable handling, the engine, tiny by today's standards, unthinkable for a BMW, is still passable. North Americans are already acquainted with the similar the 318, anyways.

To up the quaint Euro factor, this 316 featues a Baur top conversion. Baur had an extremely close relationship with BMW and other German automakers. While the conversion was still technically a custom aftermarket conversion, as it was performed after the car was made rather than during production, it was as close to a factory option as it gets, even being featured in some brochures from the era.

What differentiates the Baur from your ordinary convertible E30? A lot. The window frames and kept in place and a top cross bar is added for extra support. The canvas top peels back like a sardine can. When a car loses its roof to become a convertible, it also loses structural rigidity, causing more flexing and bending in the body. This then becomes noticeable in handling. The Baur attempts to rectify that problem with keeping some side and roof pillars intact. The result is the best of both worlds: some structural rigidity combined with the open air sensation.

Inside we have one of the best interiors from BMW. Oversized pre-airbag steering wheel, center console angled towards the driver, dark high grade plastics. And a pair of dice dangling from the rear view mirror.

The seller says this is a 1-owner car that was purchased new in Kohn, Germany before it traveled the world and then ended up in the Hamptons on Long Island in New York. If you're going to get a Baur, that's about a good a story as you might find. The seller says the car is not without some scratches but suggests it is otherwise sound, and has no rust, which is terrific. They list the odometer as reading 88,382 kilometers which converts to around 55,000 miles, very low.

The price for this wonderful slice of bratwurst? $18,990.

Find it here on ebay.

Improbable: 1989 BMW 324TD Touring (In The U.S.?)

I couldn't believe my eyes when I first found this.

It's an E30 wagon. Never available in the U.S. It's a turbodiesel. Never available in the U.S. And it's red over black. Which just plain looks good.

And yet there it was, sitting on Boston craigslist.

The E30 was BMW's legendary 3-series from the '80s. The car only really got great looking for U.S. buyers from 1989-1991, when universal short body-colored plastic bumpers replaced the hideous U.S.-spec diving boards. These cars, when coupled with the bulletproof 6-cylinder engine in the 325i, were awesome: relatively lightweight, rear-wheel drive, superb handling and driving characteristics and, above all else, fun. That they were brilliantly styled is just a cherry on top.

So it's all rather surprising to find a New Hampshire dealer advertising this extremely amazing rare car in the United States. Unfortunately, the photos show the car with European plates, suggesting it may still be in another continent.

Either way, it warrants an investigation.

The E30 Touring was added in 1987 along with a change to the rear-taillights and some other minor adjustments for every 3-series. This is a 324TD, which indicates it is powered by a 2.4-litre inline 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that produced a mere 113 horsepower. This is no racecar, and it is also unfortunately coupled with an automatic transmission. You can probably count on it being a endless tank, however.

Inside, we see a non-airbag three-spoke steering wheel and black leather seats. The interior of the E30 is a great place to be, all hard angles, lines, and high-quality plastics. Instrument cluster is stark and crystal clear. Everything is where it should be: within reach of the driver.

The seller doesn't provide any other info besides the VIN and the mileage (100,000), leaving the story behind how and why this rare car is for sale by a U.S. dealer a mystery. I've spotlighted a couple of vehicles from this dealer before, and they certainly have an eye for rare European cars. But condition, documentation and pricing are still up in the air. They list this vehicle for sale at a rather high $9,995. A forum discussion on this same classified here suggests no 324TD came with an automatic, and that would make sense, as an auto somewhat defeats the purpose of a diesel.

But if it is here, you can probably count on it being the only one here.

Find the craigslist ad here and the dealer listing here.

Bavarian Beauty: 9k-mi 1991 BMW 325iC

*UPDATE: the listing was mysteriously pulled from ebay*

One of my favorite car blogs and an obvious inspiration for this blog is Just a Car Geek (click here to check it out).

There's sort of a running joke on JaCG about low mileage cars that are otherwise extremely boring. Some of these include an 9Kmi Subaru Loyale, an 8Kmi VW Rabbit, and 1982 Oldsmobile Omega with just 158 miles!

This, however, is both a low mileage car and a very cool car.

It's a 1991 BMW 325iC in beautiful Laguna Green (or, as the seller calls it in original German, lagunengrun) with supposedly only 9,370 original miles on the odometer. That's pretty remarkable.

This will no doubt drive BMW enthusiats crazy.

In fact it should drive just about every car enthusiast crazy.

The 1991 E30 3-Series was and still remains the best 3-Series ever, in my opinion. It was before they designed the cars with the American market in mind (as they did with the bulkier E36), but after they refined it to near-perfection. '89-'90 also debuted new small plastic body colored bumpers for all markets that mercifully replaced the hideous "diving board" U.S.-spec bumpers. The car finally looked the way the designers intended. The E30 were compact sized, subtly styled, comfortable, fuel efficient and sporty all at once.

This is the the top-of-the-line 325iC, which features a 3.2-litre inline 6-cylinder engine and a power-operated convertible top. It also has grey leather interior, a refreshing change from the usual sand color.

Unfortunately it's not a manual gearbox, which prevents everybody from going bananas. With a stately automatic it's more of a relaxing boulevard cruiser that happens to handle extremely well. It's still great. Summer is coming up and this is a great summer car. How I wish I could just spend warm nights cruising around in one of these.

The seller does not provide a reason for the unusually low miles. He does not seem to be the original owner as well. There is also a picture showing some damage around the keyhole, which is odd for such an immaculate car. Fortunately the seller discloses this as likely being the result of an attempted theft. He also attributes the Autocheck showing the vehicle as having a salvage title to that reason as well. This could all be cleared up with a private message or phone discussion with the seller. The damage around the keyhole is unsightly, but I bet a couple hundred dollars and a reputable body shop could make it much better looking without having to repaint the whole door. A little bit of paint-less dent removal with some waxing perhaps?

Despite all that it's still a pristine and desirable car in a desirable color combination. E30 convertibles are easier to find than the sedans and coupes because like most convertibles they are kept well and only driven in good weather. But to find one with mileage this low is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The only lingering questions are value and what to do with it. The seller gives an indication of what he wants with the $18K buy it now. $18K is a lot, but actually pretty reasonable when you think about it. The mileage is an obvious reason, but also because BMW convertibles will always retain a certain value. On the practical side, I can't even name any new convertibles under $20K with 6-cylinder engine that would be this solid, well-built, and attractive. Definitely none German-made. That said, if the seller is open to negotiations the buyer has a lot of arguments on their side (the theft, and the fact that the NADA high retail is only $6,925).

As far as ownership goes? I'd side with keeping it for events and weekend only.

Find it here on ebay with active bidding under the reserve, and an $18,000 buy it now price.