BMW 3.0 Si

Year of manufacture 1976 Recorded mileage 96,009km Asking price £29,500 Vendor Suffolk Sports Cars; tel: 07967 339424; www.suffolksportscars.com WHEN IT WAS NEW Price £5600 Max power 197bhp Max torque 201lb ft 0-60mph 7.4 secs Top speed 129mph Mpg 22

This well-specced Si, a model made until 1977, is the personal property of Suffolk director Frazer Williams, who imported it from Australia two years ago. Its paperwork includes documentation from the supplying dealer Bill Patterson GP Pty and an original service book with five stamps.

It was repainted while there and it all remains excellent, save two small bubbles on the bootlid, and one small ding in the passenger-side rear door. The side trims and boot badges were left off, giving a cleaner look, but the seller has them and they can be refitted if the buyer wants. All the rest of the brightwork is in fine or fair order, including bumper rubbers, with one small scratch on the left sill trim and doorhandles slightly pickling, as usual. The refurbished E12-style BBS wheels were available at the time, so could have been a dealer fitment, and are shod with a newish and very period-looking set of Blockley tyres, with an older Olympic on the steel spare. The wheel well and boot floor are rot-free, floors and inner wings just about perfect. There’s a new stainless exhaust, and all the suspension rubbers look to be in good shape.

Inside, it’s all original apart from the redone (and matching) driver’s seat base, and all holding up very well, with one tiny threadbare patch on the rear seat, which sports belts. The front door-cards have unfortunately been cut for speakers, but they are period, and there’s a two-piece rear blind.

The motor is tidy, with a new airflow sensor, clean coolant and clean oil to maximum. It starts easily, the Bosch Jetronic system holding the revs high for a minute or two, then it’s out on the open road, and what a joy. For what was a big saloon in its day it’s surprisingly quick, the M30 ‘six’ happy to rev, with a sonorous howl. It’s light on its feet, too (50kg less than a CSI, amazingly), with responsive powered steering. All that dates it are the brakes, slightly wooden as they were in period, though they pull up straight. Temperature sits a third of the way up the gauge, and it feels as if it could spin away at high revs all day. Even the factory air-con works. A marvellous drive, sold with spare keys and a new MOT.

SUMMARY

EXTERIOR

Straight (with one small ding) and good paint

INTERIOR

Has lasted well; part refurbished; roomy and comfortable

MECHANICALS

Strong, smooth and fast

VALUE ★★★★★★✩✩✩✩

For Great looking and great to drive

Against Bubbles in the bootlid

SHOULD I BUY IT?

Yes, if you want a really nice but usable E3 saloon – or it would even be a credible alternative if a mint M535 is too much