2003 BMW 325CI

Registered on the 13th of June 2003, making it one of the very last to have been built, the V5 registration document for this this dark-blue-over-tan BMW 325CI convertible shows just four previous keepers – and yet this is misleading because the vendor bought it a decade ago from the car’s first owner.

Then showing around 35,000 miles, the car was then used throughout his family, having every change of keeper between them being diligently recorded with the DVLA.

Constantly fettled and improved while in his care (including a new leather interior!), its reliability is one element of its case for running it as a modern classic daily driver, the fact that it is cossetting in everyday use and yet still enormous fun when being thrown along your favourite back-roads lane being two more.

Only for sale because he’s inadvertently found himself owning four cars, it’s being offered with a very sensible guide price and, even more importantly, no reserve so it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

The Mystic Blau Metallic coachwork is pretty good with decent panel alignment, no real dents or dinks, and ripple-free flanks. There’s a good sheen to the dark blue metallic paint too.

All-in-all, it presents well and looks terrific, especially when the roof is lowered, a state that shows off the car’s sleek lines – and new tan leather interior – to perfection.

The ten-spoke alloy wheels are in fine fettle too, having been refurbished over the years. They’re fitted with decent tyres too, Radar in the size 225/40R18 on the front and Pirelli P-Zero in 255/35R18 on the rear. All have good tread left and only one of the wheels needs some light scuffing removed.

The folding blue fabric roof is strong and free of rips, tears, and other damage. It fits tautly too, sealing out even the foulest of weather in an impressive fashion. As you can see in the video, it furls and unfurls at the touch of a button although the solid tonneau cover does sometime need a helping hand to latch securely when putting the roof down. However, this is almost certainly merely a matter of adjustment rather than anything more serious.

Faults? Aside from the usual stonechips and marks that any well-used car inevitably collects over the years, there may well have been some paintwork over the years. There are also quite a few light scratches and swirl marks on the boot lid, plus a slightly mis-aligned rear bumper thanks to a low-speed bump.

The interior is gloriously minimal, harking back to the halcyon days when BMW still had the confidence to fit the sort of straightforward but high-quality cockpits that it deserted in favour of the sort of over-blown and under-built aberrations it fits today.

As such, while there might not appear to be much in there, what there is looks terrific – as well it might because the vendor has spent £3,400 having it completely retrimmed using high quality leather and BMW trim.

This means the tan leather seats still look like new. Firm and supportive, they feel amazing and are butter-soft to the touch. It really is a lovely job and worth every penny for the glorious smell alone.

There are also some nice carbon fibre-esque flourishes in there too, plus decent dials, switches, and controls. The steering wheel is slightly shiny but nothing more, and the headlining is good having been only recently replaced.

The carpets, including the over-mats, are in good shape including those in the boot. The latter is in a very good condition and the fact that the only criticism we can make is that the boot lid struts are rusty speaks volumes as to how good everything else in there appears.

All this positivity – and no little expenditure - means that the work that needs doing inside is minor and pretty much limited to cleaning some black marks off the tan leather door cards and the outer bolster of the driver’s seat.

There are also some scuffs here and there on the original trim, most noticeably on the rear of the centre console where feet have rubbed across it. This is virtually unnoticeable and could be ignored very easily.

Recent repairs, which cost £1,276, included a new steering angle sensor, battery, and starter motor in June 2020.

There are other bills since it’s been in the vendor’s care, including one for £3,432 from 2016. Please see the attached invoice for details.

The service history is recorded as follows:

• 10.06.2003 – pre-delivery inspection by BMG GB Ltd

• 30.06.2004 and 14,703 miles – Oil service by Rydale

• 12.06.2007 and 26,080 miles – Inspection I by Ryedale

• 01.10.2010 and 36,951 miles – Oil service and fresh brake fluid by Cooper Thames Ditton

• 22.01.2013 and 51,091 miles – Inspection II and fresh coolant and brake fluid by AMC

• 24.04.2014 and 61,664 miles – Oil service by AMC

• 20.05.2016 and 75,583 miles – Inspection I and fresh brake fluid by Dick Lovett

The car starts, runs, and drives well.

The engine bay is averagely clean, but then sorting that out wouldn’t be hard if you’re looking for something cleaner. The underside is strong and solid.

The BMW’s MOT certificate is valid until November 2021. It also has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its owner’s handbook, a stamped service history, the original book pack, and the storage wallet plus two sets of keys.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

This is a lovely example of a much-sought-after BMW convertible. Well-serviced, it boasts a new leather interior, a decent exterior, and as much performance as any sane driver needs thanks to that creamy smooth six-cylinder engine and manual gearbox.

It’s also being offered for sale with no reserve, which is proof positive that the vendor has complete confidence in the quality of his car – and your good taste in recognizing one when you see it.

And, while we think the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £3,000 and £5,000 - which is a helluva lot of car for not-a-lot of money – it’s going to sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory that might be.

It’s also worth remembering that modern classics are where a lot of the interest in our hobby lies right now. Offering a lot of the analogue driving experience we crave in our classics, they also offer a modern driving experience and a huge quantity of passive and active safety equipment all wrapped up in the sort of reliability those driving fifty-year-old British cars would kill for…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.