Description

1983 BMW 323i (E30)

One owner from new; only 63,750 miles; high spec model with LSD, close ratio gearbox, sports suspension, air con, sunroof
One of two BMW E30 models in our sale today, this rare 323i would have been the flagship of the E30 range when it came out in 1982 as the 325i which replaced it didn’t come out until 1985 and the M3 not until 1986. Fitted with the 2,316cc version of the M20 straight-six producing 139bhp and 151lb/ft, it could sprint to 60mph in 9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 126mph.
Our vendor bought this 323i brand new as a company car from Cooper Bishopsgate of London EC2A in July 1983 when he was working in the City as a commodities trader. A proper petrolhead, he wanted the most sporting spec he could get so he made sure to tick all the juiciest options which added a hefty £3,740 to the car’s basic list price of £8,320 (including tax), the final bill coming to £13,710.31 which included number plates, road tax and a tankful of petrol.
The options were as follows:
Close ratio 5-speed gearbox: £370.43
Limited slip diff: £246.96
Power steering: £360.87
Alloy wheels: £362.61
Sports steering wheel: £73.92
Gas shock absorbers: £66.96
Air conditioning: £931.31
Manual sunroof: £348.69
Electric windows: £244.35
Cassette rack: £27.95
Agate Green Metallic paint: £218.26

In addition the car came with a Pearl Beige cloth interior; green tinted windows; sports suspension; lockable glove box; electric LH exterior mirror; badge delete option plus front mud flaps which were ordered shortly after purchase.
Two years later our vendor left his job to start his own commodities trading firm in the City and took his beloved BMW with him, changing the registration number from A110 SUU to 22 HDT. As his career blossomed, the vendor began to amass a collection of ever more exotic cars and the BMW was used less and less frequently, remaining completely unused from 2008 to 2020 apart from the occasional start up to keep everything free and to move it from one part of the collection to another.
For the first five years it was mainly serviced by Hexagon BMW of London with various invoices for routine work up to 1987 by which time it had covered some 29,000 miles. Thereafter it has been maintained by the vendor’s own mechanic, the odometer currently showing 63,750 miles which is warranted by 14 old MOTs on file from 1986 (at 25,069 miles) to 2000 (at 54,440 miles). We are told that it was also MOT tested annually up until 2008 when it was parked up, as confirmed by an online MOT history check. Recently recommissioned, it went for a new MOT in October this year, failing only on the o/s headlight aim which was soon corrected with no other advisories.

Only reluctantly for sale because the vendor has recently retired and is now thinning down his collection, it remains in good and highly original condition throughout although it does have a dent on the o/s front wing by the headlight and on the wheelarch. It would also benefit from a really good valet following a dozen years in storage.
Supplied with all its original handbooks, it was driven some 60 miles to the sale and we are told that it performed beautifully. It certainly started promptly and ran very nicely as we moved it around for these photos.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com