As BMW’s only foray into hatchbacks in the North American market, the E36 generation 318ti is rather unusual. There are usually a couple of reasons for manufacturers to offer a lower-tier product than in the past – economic reasons, like a recession, or trying to attract up-and-coming buyers who haven’t up-and-come yet, like Mercedes is doing now with its CLA sedans. Thinking back to the late 1990s, it seems like BMW was doing the latter – perhaps sensing up-and-coming Generation X car enthusiasts, along with an attack from underneath by VW with their VR6-powered cars, they probably felt the need to offer their new (and first, since the E10 touring) hatchback. Oddly enough, they only saw fit to offer the 318ti with its 1.8-liter four cylinder, but did not go as far as bringing over the 323ti, which meant some enthusiasts saw fit to create cars like this 1995 BMW 328ti for sale for $3000 in Atlanta, GA.
Rusty But Trusty 