2005 BMW 330Ci

Built in July 2004 and first registered on 31 March 2005, this BMW 330Ci automatic was collected from Coopers BMW Sevenoaks by Mr T Williams two days later.

Just over 15 years and around 52,000 miles later, the same Mr Williams – its one and only keeper - part-exchanged the car and it was bought from a trade auction about a month ago by a retired dealer (and occasional dabbler) intending to use it himself as a runaround.

Once he’d seen how good the car was, he realised that it was too good not to sell on and here we are with it now looking for its second owner.

The outside of this Silver Grey Metallic 330Ci is incredible, there’s barely a mark on the paint and the bodywork appears as straight as the day it left the factory. In saying that, we’re not even making allowances for the fact that the car is 15 years old, its condition would put some new cars to shame.

The car sits on 18-inch M-Sport alloy wheels, which present very well with just the odd scuff on a couple of the rims and a bit of wrinkling behind the centre-badge decals. The tyres are matching Bridgestone Potenzas which, presumably due to minimal use of late as they’re not old and still have good tread, are showing light cracking around the shoulder. The rear offside tyre is only a year or so old and looks fine.

You don’t have to take our word for how fantastic this BMW 330Ci looks. 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.

We are looking after the car during the auction and, be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measures to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

If you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video or we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown.

The story on the car’s excellent condition continues inside, with swathes of black leather across seats, doors and dash, and a carbon-cube trim giving subtle accents. This is not the high-gloss, plastic-looking carbon fibre you get these days, this is a really great looking weave.

The black leather seats look almost new - they are immaculate. The only things that give away that it’s not a new car are the burnishing of the steering wheel rim and the polished creasing on the driver seat side bolsters. It is almost as if no one but the driver has ever sat in the car. They also benefit from electric memory settings on the drivers and passenger side. Carpets and overmats are in great order and the headlining too. Even the M-Sport sill kick plates look hardly kicked.

Up front, the steering wheel is an M-Sport unit with multifunction controls for cruise control and for the BMW Business CD - a mid-level spec stereo with bluetooth preparation & voice control.

Under the bonnet everything looks tidy with a thin covering of honest grime - more preferable to a power-washed engine bay which might have been done to mask oil issues. There are no signs of any problems such as corrosion although the sound insulation lining under the bonnet is coming away on one side which seems to have led to a hole being worn in it by the engine.

The car’s undersides are mostly protected by undertrays and are fairly clean and free of any discernible damage or corrosion, save for a little surface rust on some of the brackets and fixings.

Flip the boot lid and again, you’re left wondering whether this car’s been used much since new. The carpet and linings are spotless, as if nothing has ever been carried in the car, and the small toolkit attached to the underside of the boot lid is still present and complete. A warning triangle - oddly in a blue sleeve rather than the traditional red - is stowed to one side of the boot next to a covered cubby which presumably would hold the optional CD changer and nav unit if specified. Under the floor is the jack and cover for a space saver spare wheel - although it looks as though it never had one.

The car has a current MOT valid until October 2021 and the online history shows that the car has been tested annually since first required in 2008. This record also validates the low mileage which averages out at just a few thousand a year. Over the last 12 months, the car’s only covered around one thousand. There have been a few failures but only for easily rectified issues like damaged tyres, a misaligned headlamp and a reluctant windscreen washer!

All the MOTs, servicing and maintenance has been carried out by or through BMW main dealers - either the supplying dealer Coopers in Sevenoaks or Arden in Maidstone - all of which are documented by invoices in the history folder. It's worth noting that there's over £4k spent with receipted invoices amounting to full main dealer service history.

In terms of mileage interval services - the car has the following stamps in the book - since when it has had at least one ‘value service’ where they don’t tend to stamp the book:

Aug 2006 - 13,851

Apr 2008 - 25,730

Mar 2011 - 39,222

The car comes with its documents pouch with all the original owner’s handbooks and two keys including the original key fob and BMW plates.

Although it doesn’t have the brash styling of the M3 and has two-thirds of its power, the 330Ci still looks purposeful and is certainly no slouch. The car starts and runs well and drives as well as it looks - which, as you will have seen and read, is fantastic.

This 330Ci is a really, really excellent example, with just a single owner, low mileage and in fabulous condition which we think will fetch between £5,000 and £9,000. That’s pretty low for what might not be the best looking model of BMW 3 Series but is one of the best and most enjoyable to drive.

Someone will be getting an absolute belter of a car for very little money.

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 to ask any questions or make observations on the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.