BMW

E30 (Serie 3)

The BMW E30 was the second generation of BMW's hugely successful 3 Series, with series production beginning in October 1982 and the car released to the public at the end of November 1982. Building on the formula of the original E21, the BMW E30 offered crisp handling, a wide range of four- and six-cylinder petrol engines, and over time grew far beyond the original two-door saloon. For the first time the 3 Series was offered as a four-door saloon and, later, as a Touring estate and a Baur-built convertible, while the all-wheel-drive 325iX broadened the range. The car that turned the BMW E30 into a true legend was the M3, launched in 1986 as a Group A homologation special with flared arches, a high-revving four-cylinder S14 engine and a motorsport record that made it one of the most successful touring cars in history, with around 17,184 road-going M3s built. Beyond the M3, enthusiasts also prize the silky 325i and the rare 333i. Across its life from 1982 to 1994, total production of the BMW E30 reached roughly 2.3 million cars, spanning coupes, saloons, Tourings and convertibles. Today the BMW E30 is a blue-chip modern classic, with the E30 M3 commanding the strongest money and clean six-cylinder cars rising fast as enthusiasts rediscover this beautifully balanced, analogue-era BMW.