If understated style is your thing, and you like the look of a sixties or seventies Mercedes, but don’t want to sacrifice sportiness, the 1968-77 E3-series of BMW sedans is worth a closer look. Packing a 2.8-liter M30 six cylinder with 168hp and 174 lb.-ft. of torque, the E3 nearly matched the W115 Mercedes in size, while having sharper performance. Let’s take a look at this 1970 BMW 2800 for sale for $3000 in Edmonds, WA.
Suppose you’re looking for a classic BMW for less money than you’d pay for yesterday’s non-running version of one of Alfa’s least-desirable North American models (which conveniently leaves out the Arna and Dauphine). Normally, your average car person would say “poppycock!” and move along to something more worthy of their attention, but in this case, it’s not crazy talk. You can pick up this 1976 BMW 2002 for $3000 in Portland, OR.
Along with their companion models, the E3 chassis BMW sedans have experienced a recent increase in value, and those of us who hunt around in the high 3-figure and low 4-figure priced cars have seen them move out of reach. So it’s a pleasure to see one of these cars show up at a reasonable price, and one that’s pretty decent looking at that. In the context of the E9 coupes, these are not attractive cars, but they have that 1960s/1970s European look that might trigger the “hey, interesting car!” idiot light to go on in your head. And interesting they are, with respectable power from a straight six that’s hopefully had its overheating and fueling issues sorted by a previous owner, decent handling and a comfortable, if spartan interior as you’d expect from a European luxury sedan of the period. Take a close look at this 1973 BMW Bavaria for sale for $600 in Berkeley, CA.
Rusty But Trusty 