1989 BMW 320i

This car is a fabulous example of the 320i 4-door saloon with the 2.0-litre (1991cc) six-cylinder petrol engine. As it was built after the 1987 update it delivers 127 bhp through its 5-speed Getrag manual gearbox.

This 320i was first supplied by Velo vehicle leasing through Jackson’s Garage on the outskirts of St Helier on Jersey, Channel Islands in February 1990. It was the company car of an offshore finance executive on the island where it remained for four years, clocking up 16-17k miles before moving to the UK mainland and being bought from the lease company by the financier in May 1993.

Whilst the number of owners may technically be more than one, this 320i was in his continuous, fastidious guardianship from new. His death recently means that the car has now passed into the trade, and only has a shade under 66,500 miles on the clock, as validated by the service history and MoT records. The family reported that the car was always garaged when not in use.

The Alpinweiss (Alpine White II) painted bodywork on this BMW is in very good, straight condition all things considered. Yes, there are a few scuffs, scrapes and knocks around the front bumper and nose as well as the odd dint elsewhere. And yes, the black coating on the nearside door mirror root has failed and there are a few rust bubbles appearing on one corner of the sunroof - but it’s not bad at all in fact for a coastal-living, thirty-year-old car.

The lower sills and lower rear valance have black stone chip paint applied and the front valance also has this protective coating but body-coloured. Other trim elements like grille, bumpers, rear boot panel, door handles, mirrors, window trims and rubbing strips are also in black - as they would have been originally - which contrast well with the otherwise white body.

The wheels are 14-inch steels with silver/grey plastic wheel-trims which show in a good condition with no serious scuffs or scratches. They are fitted with Goodyear Eagle NCT2 tyres on all but the offside rear which has a Runway Enduro. All tyres appear in good condition with adequate tread.

If you thought the outside of this car was good, the interior will blow you away. Whilst we wouldn’t use the cliché phrase “time-warp condition” (OK, we did, sorry) the inside looks incredibly original and in a lovely condition - pure late ‘80s. The only thing that seems to be different from factory spec is the Sony stereo (originals were usually Blaupunkt) - which is a CD player with AM/FM RDS tuner and has a removable faceplate.

This interior colour scheme was called Indigo Blue, which referred to the dark blue vinyl on the doors and seatbacks and the darker stripes on the paler blue cloth upholstery. The dash and centre console are in a charcoal grey vinyl trim which keeps things looking more traditional up front.

For wannabe airline pilots out there: “Overhead systems test panel?” - “Check!” - plus the control for the electric sunroof. The door mirrors adjust electrically and front windows are electric too but the poor passengers in the rear have to experience a good old-fashioned winder. As we understand it all electrics are working.

The light blue carpets look in good order too and have charcoal fabric overmats front and rear. The headlining is also very clean and doesn’t appear to sag or be stained anywhere. To have an interior this good - especially one upholstered in cloth - the car must have been very well cared for.

Under the front-hinged bonnet, the engine bay looks tidy and intact. The fact that everything is covered in a thin layer of dirt and road grime is testament to its honesty - something that a power-washed or steam-cleaned engine can hide. The insulative bonnet lining is a little perished in places but there are no signs of anything other than a few areas of light surface rust underneath.

Underneath the car appears fine too, with good underseal to floor panels and no signs of significant corrosion across structural members or suspension and steering components. The exhaust system also seems in good order.

Inside the boot, the linings and carpets look fairly clean with just a little discoloration here and there. Underneath is a full size steel spare wheel fitted with a Goodyear tyre. Elsewhere is a jack and wheel brace and some top-up oil in the side bin opposite.

Usually we would encourage a personal inspection but as this is currently a challenge to most, why not use the ‘Contact Seller’ option and arrange a call with the vendor to ask any questions - or even a video call to be able to look at the car in closer detail.

The car has a current MoT certificate, passing with no advisories, that expires in November 2021. The vendor says The MoT technician said, and I quote, "Original cars like this are very few and far between; It has never been welded!!"  

According to the online record there have been a few test failures over the last dozen or so years but always for something that was easily adjusted, fixed or replaced and nothing at fault with the major mechanicals.

There are several stamps in the service booklet from pre-delivery through to 63,000 miles from a mix of BMW main dealers and independents as well as record of timing belt changes in 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2020.

On receipt of the car a few weeks ago, the selling dealer put it through a service and MoT, replacing the cambelt and water pump, fitting a new clutch slave cylinder and a new battery.

The full history folder that the vendor has, plus the combination of the verbal history, the car’s condition and the service book stamps does give a good indication of the regularity and level of maintenance given to this car.

The vendor reports that this BMW 320i starts, runs and drives really well - almost like a brand new car - with a really tight turn-in on the steering. Better even than you might expect from a well looked-after, late eighties-built Bavarian.

It’s everything a modern-classic enthusiast is looking for: classic good looks; enough performance to be interesting; and bulletproof reliability. In our view the E30 range (M3 aside, obviously) is massively undervalued too which adds to the appeal.

How undervalued are they? Well, we think this one will sell for between £6,000 and £9,000, which seems fantastic value to us given its practicality and the originality of its condition. It’s offered with NO RESERVE too, so it will be selling from the very first bid.

Although it’s not the highest in terms of specification, that amazing interior is a hard one to beat and the outside won’t take much work to improve. This is an incredibly honest BMW 320i with originality by the bucket load - something you just can’t replace.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Bournemouth; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that this vehicle may have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.