1987 BMW 325i Baur

This BMW 325i Baur convertible is one of the rarer E30 Baurs built by BMW South Africa and features the 2.5-litre (2494cc) straight six with automatic gearbox. These larger-engined E30s were capable of 0-60 mph in under 8 seconds and could reach 135 mph top speed.

Imported direct from South Africa and registered in the UK in June 1987, ownership of this Baur stayed in the same family until 2020. It has had very little use over the last decade but was given a full timing belt service in 2020 and a regular service a year later.

The current owner bought the car earlier this year, then unexpectedly became the custodian of another car and, sadly, he only has space to keep one.

The exterior is finished in Zinnoberrot - or Vermilion Red - and overall the car presents well for a 35-year-old car with the equivalent of 93k miles on the clock. Unsurprisingly, there are a few marks, stone chips, scuffs and scrapes - particularly where you’d expect around the nose and the edges of opening panels - and the lacquer on the bonnet badge is also peeling slightly.

The black folding roof fabric looks very clean and in good, undamaged condition with very little wear evident. It deploys as it should and folds away neatly under a tonneau cover.

The glass windows all round bear original markings and are etched with the chassis number. The rear plastic window in the folding roof is a little cloudy but otherwise appears free of major creases or damage.

The car sits on its original 14-inch “Bottle top” alloy wheels, which are all in a fair condition with just a little lacquer blistering around the ends of the spokes. The fronts are shod in Dunlop SP Sport tyres and the rears have a mix of Firestone Firehawk and Debica Furio boots. All have sufficient tread but appear to date from 10+ years ago.

The car’s interior - just as important as the outside when it’s a convertible - also appears in a remarkably good condition. The black leather upholstery across the seats doesn’t appear to have suffered from fading or any undue wear or creasing. The only real visible damage is some scratching and creasing on the driver’s seat side bolster and a few scuffs on the rear seats.

Contrasting nicely with the black seats, door card and dash are the burr grain wood veneer door cappings and dashboard inserts. There are a couple of filled and polished cracks on each door cap but otherwise the wood looks in good condition. The steering wheel is beautifully simple and the brush-gated automatic gear shift looks solidly 1980s.

As a South African made car, the speedo measures in km/h and the odometer in km. The current reading of just over 149,000 is the equivalent of 93k miles. The centre console sports a hi-tech (for the time) trip computer and a detachable Blaupunkt Vancouver cassette radio - bought and fitted when the car was newly imported.

The black carpets are clean and intact and the roof lining is also a dark colour but appears clean and well fitted. Look out for the small control panel above the rear view mirror enabling the driver to channel their inner helicopter pilot and check various lights and levels with the touch of a button.

The front-hinged bonnet lid itself appears in good order, with no significant rust evident to the hinges or catches but the insulating foam lining has started to crack and detach slightly. The engine and ancillaries all appear clean and in good order and there is evidence of recent renewal to the fuel injection and air intake components.

The boot carpet and linings appear a little loose but clean and tidy. To one side under a plastic tray is the battery and under the floor is a full size spare bottle-top alloy wheel fitted with an unused Roadstone Dark Horse tyre dating from 2008. Also present are the jack and wheel brace, and the boot-lid-mounted toolkit which seems to have most items present. The boot-lid itself is in reasonable condition with a little scraping and chipping in places around the edge rim.

The Baur has a current MOT valid until September 2023, which it passed with an advisory on a rear brake pipe being either corroded or covered in grease. The history shows an average of around 200 km of use each year since 2011, although annual MOT tests have continued throughout.

The car comes with its original Owner’s handbook which includes numerous service stamps, albeit entered in a slightly haphazard order. Chronologically, these are the declared services - with odometer readings given in kilometres:

Aug 1987 - 2,835 km - Holland Park BMW (not stamped but invoiced)

Feb 1988 - 12,580 - a/a

Jul 1988 - 23,991 - BMW Pyrenees, Andorra

Mar 1989 - 42,219 - Holland Park BMW

Mar 1990 - 64,509 - a/a (not stamped but invoiced)

Oct 1991 - 68,185 - a/a (inc gearbox exchange, not stamped but invoiced)

Apr 1992 - 91,932 - a/a

Aug 1992 - 94,478 - a/a (inc top end rebuild - not stamped but invoiced)

May 1993 - 98,780 - Sheen Lane Motors (BMW & Merc), London

May 1995 - 111,203 - a/a

May 1996 - 117,503 - a/a

Jan 1997 - 123,351 - a/a

May 1998 - 127,677 - a/a

May 2000 - 132,686 - a/a (inc timing belt)

May 2001 - 135,226 - a/a

May 2003 - 138,588 - a/a

May 2004 - 139,280 - a/a

May 2005 - 140,805 - Car and Commercial, Devizes Wilts

Oct 2011 - 146,496 - Sheen Lane Motors, London

2012-2020 Invoiced repairs as required by Kavanagh Motor Group, Croydon

Jul 2020 - 148,333 - John Gagen BMW, Suffolk (inc belts)

Oct 2021 - unknown - P&S Hall, Suffolk (not stamped but invoiced)

The car’s history file is an impressive one and contains numerous expired MOT reports and countless invoices for servicing, parts and maintenance. There’s also the docket for the purchase of the Blaupunkt Vancouver radio back in August 1987.

Recent work includes:

Oct 2021 - flywheel, fuel pipes and injectors, oil change, starter motor - P&S Hall, Suffolk

Sep 2022 - new battery

It is clear swiping through the huge history file that during long-term family ownership this car was diligently maintained and repaired as and when required - mostly by a main dealer and a marque specialist - without cutting corners on costs. Given the impressive thickness of the sheaf of detailed bills from Sheen Lane Motors over two decades, the owner would surely have been top of their Christmas card list.

If you like the classic looks of a BMW E30 but fancy something a little different, like a drop-top that doesn’t compromise rear 3/4 vision, then this would certainly fit the bill. Add in the rarity and cachet that comes with a limited-run, coach-built cabriolet and you’ll be certain to attract plenty of admirers wherever you take it.

Already a rarer commodity, coming as it does from South Africa, this example is one of only 481 Baur 325i convertibles built anywhere. It presents very nicely for its age and the vendor reports that it drives equally well - and we think it will fetch between £10,000 and £15,000.

Don’t forget also, that you’re getting one of the most complete history files we’ve ever seen, thanks to the diligent and generous care of the family who owned it until only a couple of years ago.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.