1987 BMW M3 E30

The car was delivered new to Spain in 1987 where it lived until March 2022, when it was exported to the UK and registered with the DVLA.

The vendor is passionate about classic cars and, needless to say, is in the habit of only buying really good examples.

This is the ideal car for drivers as opposed to polishers/show lawn parking.

The vendor has owned quite a few special vehicles and has always focused on the best drivers’ cars – classic, track-oriented 911s, Lotuses and, of course, this E30 M3.

The odometer is currently showing some 256,615 kms. 

Don’t be too distracted by that figure. 

The vendor bought this car because he prefers driving to polishing and wanted a car that he could enjoy without nervously worrying about incurring a stone chip here or a scratch there. 

This car was bought for track use, major classic events and rallies – it’s even been accepted for the Modena Cento Ore.

And it’s been (expensively) maintained to keep it in optimal condition for just such use.

The vendor is only selling because he’s now acquired an Iso Rivolta (very classy) which he also intends to use at races, rallies and events. 

So, it’s time for the E30 M3 to go to a new and equally appreciative home.

We have driven the car and can attest to its mechanical and dynamic integrity, its ability to make any true petrol-head grin from ear-to-ear like a Cheshire cat, and the model’s justified position as the first and most important of BMW’s seminal ‘M’ cars to come within reach of an eager and aspirational public. 

You need to be patient while the car gets some heat into its cylinders and fluids, but once it’s up to optimal operating temperature it drives very well indeed.

It feels well screwed together and truly belies both its age and mileage in the way it devours corners, cambers and horizons with a rare mix of capabilities that’s still impressive 36 years after it left the factory.

Most right-thinking people agree that the E30 was probably the best looking (and quite possibly the best built) iteration of the 3 Series.

The E30 M3 takes those basic design and styling cues and gives them a properly steroidal work out, adding muscular haunches front and rear on both flanks, and adding a rear spoiler that looks big enough to help the car achieve powered flight. 

There’s really no mistaking this car for its lesser E30 brethren.

The bodywork is free of any dinks, dents, ripples, folds, creases or other aberrations of consequence.

The wheels are in fine fettle and the matching Goodyear ‘EfficientGrip’ tyres look to have plenty of life left in them.

The Diamond Black Metallic black paintwork has largely retained a good deal of lustre and shine.

But it’s not perfect and there are one or two issues to consider.

There is some bubbling on and around the sunroof, and the front valance has some cracks in it and a few patches of missing paint.

There are a number of paint chips on both doors and on the rear flanks.

There are numerous cracks in the paint on the rear spoiler.

Looking at the fabulous condition of the interior you’d be forgiven for thinking that the odometer is giving a false reading.

The beige leather upholstery has yet to earn more than a few light creases, let alone any ingrained patina.

It is comfortable, supportive and functional, front and back, and aside from a small smudge on the rear centre armrest, it all looks virtually showroom-fresh.

The same applies to the carpets and mats.

The headlining is untroubled by anything as vulgar as rips, holes or other signs of wear.

So, too, are the door cards.

We didn’t tweak every lever, press every knob or flick every switch, but those we did tweak, press and flick did as they were told without delay or complaint.

The only exceptions are the passenger window and the heater element, both of which have currently withdrawn their labour and are refusing to work. 

As with everything else inside the car, the dashboard, steering wheel, gear lever, handbrake, dials and instruments must have much older, worn-out portraits of themselves in an attic somewhere, à la Dorian Gray.

It really is in time-warp condition, which is all the more remarkable when you consider the originality and authenticity of everything you’re looking at.

The boot, you won’t be surprised to learn, is in equally good order and contains a spare wheel, tool kit, jack, warning triangle, and two BMW-branded high visibility vests.

The engine bay looks particularly clean and dry, and everything seems to be in its right and proper place. 

Reassuringly, the undersides of the car appear to have a great deal of structural integrity, which is probably a reflection of a life lived on the warm, dry, salt-free roads of sunny Spain.

This car comes with no history attesting to its life in Spain but is does have invoices, bills and receipts covering expenditure on it since its arrival in the UK. 

This work includes nearly £8,000 spent with Classic Bahnstormers of Cirencester on resolving some bodywork corrosion issues and refurbishing, repairing or replacing any mechanical or electrical components in need of attention.

The main focus of the work was to get the car mechanically ready and fettled for events, rallies and races. 

The car’s MoT is valid until 23rd March 2024. 

The car has been HPI checked and cleared.

The E30 M3 is now a nailed-on, bona fide, pedigree classic.

And with good reason – they are historically important automotive milestones and, at the time, set a new benchmark for levels of performance, balance, handling and grip usually found only in the supercars of the day.

This is a strong, usable example and one that has withstood the ravages of time and use with extraordinary resilience and stoicism.

We like it a great deal.

We’re confident to offer this splendid car for auction with an estimate of £40,000 - £50,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.