Adam & Gordon Bryson’s US-specification 1980 BMW 320i E21

Adam and his father Gordon are huge supporters of the E21. Adam bought his 1980 US-specification 320i in early 2019 – before he passed his driving test – and it proved the incentive he needed to grab his licence. Now 26 and 62 respectively, the father and son team are enjoying everything the classic BMW scene has to offer.

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“Scotland does have a classic car scene, it’s not easy to find what you’re looking for but this E21 turned up on eBay in storage 15- minutes from where we live. We viewed it two days later and bought it on the spot, its condition was just so good,” Gordon explained. The enthusiasts found a good specialist in the form of E30 Street in Shotts, owned by Mark Leitch. Mark was in process of completing his own E21 Alpina replica build, based on 318i, and he was helpful in getting the Bryson’s car (nicknamed Bruce) ready for its first UK MoT – passing with no advisories.

The car’s bumpers and lights were converted to European specification, aided by a helpful neighbour, and Alpina-style alloys and a front spoiler followed, inside came an Alpina steering wheel, gearknob, and gaiter.

Archangel Speedshop in Linlithgow recently performed a health check on the factory-fitted M10 1.8-litre engine and 5-speed gearbox reporting that all is well.

“We might add silver Alpina style stripes, lower it a little, convert it to right-hand drive or swap in an M20 engine,” said Gordon, “but it stands as a nice example of what you can still find on the market when you get lucky”