1998 BMW M3

Bought as a 50th birthday present for himself five years ago, this lovely BMW M3 Evolution Convertible is finished in Cosmo Schwarz Metallic with a Nappaleder Schwarz interior. Still showing fewer than 60,000 miles on the odometer, it’s fitted with the 3.2-litre engine and SMG gearbox.

MOT’d until June 2023, it’s had thousands spent on it recently and is backed up by a comprehensive service history. It also comes with a hard top in addition to the usual soft top (new, in the case of the latter), making this is a car you can enjoy all year round.

Offered with a very sensible reserve, this is a great opportunity to buy yourself an M3 Convertible with which to enjoy the last few weeks of this scorching summer.

We think the E36’s time has come. Widely lauded for years as being ever-so-slightly ungainly, time has been kind to the shape. Of course, it helps when the car you’re looking at has been looked after as well as this one.

For a start, it comes with a new soft-top AND a factory hard-top. Both are in great condition and between them you’ve got all four seasons and all weathers covered.

Dial in ripple-free flanks, impeccable panel alignment, and the sort of fit ‘n’ finish that enabled BMW to sit at the very top of its class, and this M3 presents very well indeed.

The 17-inch M Double Spoke alloy wheels are in fine fettle and they’re fitted with a matching set of Michelin Sport Pilot 3 tyres, all of which have good tread.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Of course, there are stonechips and a few age-related marks - including some light scratches on the hard top (#89 and #102) and some fading to some of the rubber trim (i.e. #188) - but it’s really very clean for the year.

The black leather interior is every bit as good as you’d expect of such a well-maintained and low mileage example.

Still firm and supportive and every bit as comfortable as they were the day they were fitted, only slight cracking to the outer edge of the driver’s seat shows they’re almost a quarter of a century old. (They aren’t the only thing that’s feeling old right now, are they?)

The M-Sport steering wheel and centre console badge are present and correct, as are the M3 treadplates. There’s plenty of wood trim in there, too.

Electrical pixies raise and lower the roof and windows, and they do double-duty in shuffling the two front seats around as well.

There’s a fold-down wind deflector in place for ruffle-free motoring even at the sort of speeds the M3 is capable of.

The factory headunit has been replaced with a Sony radio/CD player, and there’s an aftermarket immobiliser fitted too, to help keep it yours and not theirs.

The boot is very clean. It’s also where you’ll find the factory tool kit and matching spare alloy wheel and Michelin tyre.

Flaws are minimal and include two marks on the leather of the offside rear seat (#83) and the door cards are a bit scuffed (#200 and #201).

Very well serviced and maintained over the years (the stamped service history booklet and related invoices are here for you to browse) as you can see, it starts easily, ticks over perfectly, and snarls into life when you prod the throttle.

As for the view under the bonnet, only some slight deterioration to the crackle finish detracts from what is otherwise an above-average engine bay.

The underside bears the usual surface corrosion that’s all part and parcel of living in a country that liberally applies salt to the roads whenever the mercury drops and it has never drawn the attention of an MOT tester.

The M3 comes with a substantial history folder comprising old MOT certificates and tax discs plus a host of invoices and bills for the care it’s received over the years.

It also comes with its original bill of sale plus a stamped service history booklet and the book pack.

The recent Vehicle History Check shows nothing of note.

Languishing for years in the shade of the revered E30 M3, the E36 M3 has arrived. Finally recognized as one of the best handling performance BMWs of them all, they’re finding a willing audience among folk for whom dynamic performance is as important as looks and a rock-solid reputation.

How much are you going to have to find to make it yours? Well, with the price of the very best ones fetching £40,000+, we think this one will sell for somewhere between £14,000 and £18,000.

Why so cheap? Well, it would benefit from some cosmetic fettling to the paintwork but the work that needs doing is minor (if you decide it needs doing at all…) and could be accomplished over the next few years, after which you will have a well-presented example with a low mileage and a good service history.

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

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’.