I have to say I loved Adam and Gordon Bryson’s E21 320i project featured in last month’s Readers Rides. I’m a huge E21 fan and I don’t think they get the recognition they deserve over the E30 that followed. Prices have been climbing of late but these humble classics are still within reach for many BMW enthusiasts, they make an excellent first classic and – as the Bryson’s car proves – the results of a little TLC can be spectacular.
Taking on the restoration of a classic BMW is often not for the faint of heart. Increasingly out-and-out classics from the 1960s and 1970s require more than a little TLC if they have not been maintained fastidiously over the years by careful owners. It's easy to forget that we're talking about cars that are now 50- years old – if not more. When Chris Goddard bought his E3 it was in need of much attention and to the credit of Chris, following a lengthy restoration, it is now a shining example of the breed. Without owners like Chris going above and beyond we might lose cars like his 2500 forever, that would be a terrible shame. Discover just what goes into restoring an old BMW on.
The bright red E3 got me thinking about this month's instalment of our ongoing celebrations marking 50-years of BMW M – this time the 1990s. While the preceding decade certainly gave us some enduring classics, this period in time delivered a batch of exceptional performance BMW road cars – think E36 M3 and E39 M5 to name just two. Once again for those of us at a certain age it's easy to forget that the cars from this period are also getting on a bit now, even the youngest is over 20-years old. That's in part why we're seeing values on a sharp incline of late as these sought after and often iconic BMWs age, reduce in number and fall into the hands of those who wish to preserve them rather than abuse them. It is not my money on the line, but a balance of preservation and use is an ideal mix in my view, but how about you?
I have to say I loved Adam and Gordon Bryson’s E21 320i project featured in last month’s Readers Rides. I’m a huge E21 fan and I don’t think they get the recognition they deserve over the E30 that followed. Prices have been climbing of late but these humble classics are still within reach for many BMW enthusiasts, they make an excellent first classic and – as the Bryson’s car proves – the results of a little TLC can be spectacular.
Taking on the restoration of a classic BMW is often not for the faint of heart. Increasingly out-and-out classics from the 1960s and 1970s require more than a little TLC if they have not been maintained fastidiously over the years by careful owners. It's easy to forget that we're talking about cars that are now 50- years old – if not more. When Chris Goddard bought his E3 it was in need of much attention and to the credit of Chris, following a lengthy restoration, it is now a shining example of the breed. Without owners like Chris going above and beyond we might lose cars like his 2500 forever, that would be a terrible shame. Discover just what goes into restoring an old BMW on.
The bright red E3 got me thinking about this month's instalment of our ongoing celebrations marking 50-years of BMW M – this time the 1990s. While the preceding decade certainly gave us some enduring classics, this period in time delivered a batch of exceptional performance BMW road cars – think E36 M3 and E39 M5 to name just two. Once again for those of us at a certain age it's easy to forget that the cars from this period are also getting on a bit now, even the youngest is over 20-years old. That's in part why we're seeing values on a sharp incline of late as these sought after and often iconic BMWs age, reduce in number and fall into the hands of those who wish to preserve them rather than abuse them. It is not my money on the line, but a balance of preservation and use is an ideal mix in my view, but how about you?
Restoring a classic BMW is a labour of love...
nice pre 3-Series compact BMW sports sedan