This might come as a surprise, but this site is all about the underdog cars. Well, mostly. And often times, the underdog can be an equally capable vehicle that has less desirable styling – consider the Falcon as a 4-door Mustang, the Alfa Berlina as a 4-door GTV, or the Maserati Quattroporte as a 4-door Sebring/3500. Sure, the 2-doors are all great looking cars, but they cost more, and you can’t bring your friends along. And who of you doesn’t secretly hope that a ride in a classic car will bring another convert into the fold? So when you walk up to a stranger’s door with Bible (AKA repair manual) in hand and clean coveralls on, you should be driving door-to-door in exhibit one in the conversion tool kit, this 1972 BMW Bavaria for sale for $4000 in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Could this be the Laguna blue that was available on the E46 M3? Either way, this is a gorgeous shade of blue that works really well with the chestnut interior – actually a rather Italian color combination, wouldn’t you say? The car looks to have a little oxidation, but if that’s the original paint, a little careful wet sanding and waxing might bring it back. And everything looks pretty straight, with all trim present – the only thing that seems a little out of place is the wheels, which look like something off a base-spec 2500 instead of a Bavaria.
The seller’s description is limited to “recent work. runs good.”, so it’s up to the reader to get in touch for more detail. Fortunately, this car has a manual transmission, so you can wind out the famous six for maximum joy. Is that rear glass actually dead flat?
The interior looks to be in rather decent condition – likely to need a good cleaning, but not much more. Does the a/c work? No, silly, that’s why we put the blind in the windshield. The Nardi steering wheel in wood is a classy touch on the chrome and wood interiors on these older BMWs – on newer cars it has more of a “klassy” effect.
In case $4000 is too rich for your blood, and you’re willing to invest a little effort, check out this 1972 BMW Bavaria, for sale in Philadelphia, PA for only $2500. The seller has not been able to take any more pictures because the car is in storage, which seems to be Snow-Statese for “there’s 6 feet of snow piled against the door and I can’t get it out”. However, the one picture given is a pretty good one, and the seller offers much detail on recent work, including a rebuilt engine and new tires, brakes, and fluids. The car is running and driving, but needs attention to the carbs – a good chance to convert to Webers if it hasn’t already been done. A 4-speed transmission is also included since the car is an automatic, which begs the question, why not go 5-speed?
Rusty But Trusty 
February 7, 2014 at 3:09 pm |
I don’t know if an Alfa Berliner can be considered an underdog anymore, they seem to have gotten spendy the last few years. I know I’d love to have one.