Description
This particular BMW E3 is sold but we are looking for a RHD BMW E3 2500 for a client, so please get in touch if you have one of these wonderful cars for sale.
The BMW E3 series or New Six range was launched in 1968 and produced until 1977. They represented BMW’s return to making full sized sporting saloons and in many ways started BMW’s pioneering of driver focus in creating sporting saloons, in fact the roots of BMW’s legendary M5 cars can be traced back to these elegant powerful sporting saloons.
These elegant understated saloons share engines, transmissions, suspension and many other features with the better known E9 coupe’s including the legendary 3. 0 CSL so share the same driving feel with lovely equally weighted controls and the wonderful straight six howl. In fact it was the saloons that were used extensively in period for racing both in Europe and the UK.
All models used BMW’s M30 6 cylinder engine but the 3. 0 litre fuel injected version delivering 200bhp was definitely the “M5 version” and a very rapid car in the 1970’s with a 0-60mph time of 7. 5 seconds.
Despite being very expensive to purchase in the 1970’s very few of these great drivers cars remain with “How Many Left” showing just 40 of the desirable 3. 0Si version left either on sorn or licenced. So a very rare car and one that gets a surprising amount of positive interest when out and about.
Which leads me to this particular car. It was registered new on 29 May 1975 in Flensburg Germany by BMW and then exported to Sweden with its initial inspection done on 06 June 1975 in Skovde Sweden. The first owner, a CEO of a company in Umeaa Sweden, kept the BMW until 2015 when he sold it to one of his employees. Early in 2016 the BMW was exported from Sweden to Denmark to a collector who put it through the Danish equivalent of an MO, which it passed, but he did not register the car due to some issues relating to the import tax required. I acquired the car from Denmark in 2018 and registered the car in the UK and am its sole UK owner. So really only 3 owners from new as the Danish owner never registered the car.
The BMW is incredibly original, even down to the spare wheel still being fitted with the original Michelin tyre along with the balance weight fitted at the BMW factory and stamped with the BMW logo. It is a numbers matching car with BMW still using the same number for the engine and chassis at that time.
Usually its rust that gets these cars, but this BMW spent so much of its life in northern Sweden above the salt line, where they don’t use salt on the roads in winter as its too cold to melt the ice, that apart from the rear wheel arches which have seen work it is rust free and unrepaired. At the recent MOT inspection the tester said it was the best condition BMW of this era he had ever seen. The Atlantic blue paint work isn’t perfect but presents really well with a lovely patina.
The car shows 35000 kms but looking at the paperwork this is actually 235000 kms (146k miles) but mechanically it’s in excellent condition with the engine and gearbox in particular impressing. Being kept in northern Sweden it was fitted with a block heater, still fitted, so was never started or run in a fully cold state.
We have carried out an extensive sympathetic re-commissioning of the car and the work done includes;
• Full Service all new filters, plugs, belts and oil
• Coolant flush and replaced with BMW coolant with all new coolant/ heater hoses
• All brake calipers refurbished by an experienced brake caliper specialist
• New Stainless Steel exhaust system built and fitted by Haywood and Scott
• New clutch and hydraulics master and slave cylinder
• 123 Electronic ignition with Bluetooth connectivity fitted
• New ignition coil and leads
• New Castrol gearbox and rear axle oils.
The interior is very original with no rips or tears, the seats are in excellent shape with only a couple of areas showing wear and the fact that the velour has gone hard in places. The original radio is fitted but unfortunately doesn’t work. The seats are still very supportive and even the sun roof works as intended.
The BMW comes with an extensive history file including all the original owner’s books and the original BMW Service Book. Currently fitted with a nice set of BBS alloy wheels the BMW comes with the original steel wheels and chrome hubcaps. Even the tool kit in the boot is still nearly complete.
This car drives really well, it’s hard to realise it’s nearly 50 years old!! As the saying goes, try finding another that is this original. It can be run as is showing a life of sympathetic use and lovely patina or would be an excellent basis for a concours project.
