1987 BMW 325i SPORT
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
With 60mph coming up in a smidge under seven seconds, this BMW is right on the pace of much newer machinery. The gearshift is slick and precise, a testament to the entire car’s restoration – more on that in a moment – and the steering is equally accurate. As befitting a sport model, the ride is a little firm, but we’d happily put up with it thanks to the way the car handles. We didn’t feel or hear any knocks or vibrations through the drivetrain or steering, and the brakes are forceful yet predictable.
BODYWORK CHECK
It’s often said that a car is exquisite, but to use that word here would be to undersell this car quite dramatically – it is absolutely perfect. The Dolphin Grey metallic paint is even, with no lacquer peel or overspray, and we could find no corrosion anywhere. The chrome sections are free of misting or scratches, and the panel shut lines are precise and even. The gorgeous BBS alloy wheels are free from corrosion and kerbing, and the Continental ContiSport Contact 2 tyres have plenty of life in them. This car has had a bare-metal respray and freshly re-chromed bumpers added, though the original bodycoloured ones are with the car.
HOW’S THE INTERIOR?
The cabin barely looks used. The houndstooth cloth seats are perfect, with no signs of age. There are no scratches or marks to the control surfaces and the Anthracite headlining is free of wear and tear. The car features a Blaupunkt sound system – the restorer travelled to Germany to find period amplifiers and a touch screen graphic equaliser from the period. The radio/ cassette player has just been serviced, too. The original carpets look as if no-one has ever entered the car.
UNDER THE BONNET
It’s almost eat-your-dinner-off-it clean here. The fluids are all at maximum mark, the cam covers are zinc-coated and everything looks new – mainly because it is. The engine was rebored to 2.7 litres following an Alpina blueprint in 2010. The cylinder head was ported and polished and a sports camshaft fitted. The current owner decided to take the engine out and have it rebuilt anyway – the alternator, power steering pump, radiator, cooling system and engine sensors were all replaced with new-old stock BMW items. A taller limited-slip diff has been fitted for better cruising. The car comes with two wallets of MoTs, service history and invoices.
THE CCW VIEW
This car was sold new by BMW Park Lane to an RAF pilot in Germany and returned to the UK in the early 1990s. A submarine engineering officer bought it in 2014 and rebuilt it at a cost of £20k. It’s hard to think of a better E30 anywhere – it looks great, goes well and you’ll just want to gawp at the sheer quality of its restoration.