Bmw has produced all manner of special and collectible cars over the years, but the heart of the breed is not really about the M3 and M5 and 2002tii. Instead, it's about how a more ordinary sedan bearing that blue-and-white roundel can make everyday drives feel just a little more wonderful, turning the daily commute into something to be looked forward to.
Of course, the problem with cars that are made to elevate daily drives is that they typically get driven. A lot. However, here's a little gem that just turned up on Bring a Trailer, a 1977 BMW 320i with a four-speed manual.
The late 1970s weren't a great period for either fashion or cars, but you could still get a little Bavarian groove on if you wanted, and this light blue two-door is ready to get its dancing shoes on.
View Price on AmazonThe first-generation 3-series, the E21 chassis, fell into something of an uncanny valley between the 2002 that so charmed C/D editor emeritus David E. Davis, and the E30 of the 1980s that still has legions of fans today. It was a little softer and more polished than its ancestor, and thus felt a little less characterful.
However, it was still excellent, especially if you got the options right. Such is the case here, with the original owner specifying Recaro sport seats, a three-spoke sport steering wheel, a limited-slip differential, and the aforementioned four-speed manual. Other mechanicals include front disc brakes and 13-inch alloy wheels.
The stout M10 four-cylinder engine features fuel injection and was rated at 110 horsepower when new. That doesn't sound like much compared to BMW's modern crop of turbo-four engines, but in a lightweight car that demands its driver pay attention and put some effort into things, it's just more engaging.
Best of all, this example's unusually low mileage—just 9,000 miles—means it is essentially 1977 all over again. Well, at least the good bits.
So many of this little Bavarian's brothers and sisters have left the road for good, rusted out into oblivion or simply used up and then crushed and turned into dishwashers and trash cans. Simply by surviving, a car that once seemed a lot more ordinary than BMW's best has become something very special indeed.
The auction ends on August 7.
Source: caranddriver.com
