1991 BMW E30 318iS

This E30 318is came when the M3 was already a force to reckon with, both on the track and on public roads. The production of the 318is lasted for three years, in which BMW produced 41,234 of these. That might be just more than twice of the production numbers for the BMW M3 (at almost 18,000) but only a fraction of the total E30s (2.3 million). The car listed here is a 1991 example, registered in May 1991, and has been with its second owner since 2014. It might be a spotless example, but that doesn’t mean this BMW 318is hasn’t been used. It’s done close to 100k miles. And during its life, the two-door car has been extensively worked upon to keep it in faultless condition.

As you can see in the photo gallery below, the car has a very assertive stance, much in line with that of the more powerful versions like the 325 Sport. It’s accompanied by a huge bunch of paperwork including service history, invoices for repairs and upgrades, a full-size spare wheel, and the original tool kit. It’s uncommon for a car of this age, especially one that’s been used regularly, to come with originals like that; but this does. It has a valid MoT which expires later this year in October.

The Alpine White exterior of the BMW 318is lends it an unassuming appearance. Although with the kit, BBS wheels, and the lowered suspension (the car’s got an upgrade in that department), it looks striking, to say the least. The vendor got it a complete respray in 2015, and that seems to have done wonders. In addition to that, he mentions that he does detailing as a hobby, which further explains the car’s clean exterior and interior. A testament to its spotless appearance is that the car’s a regular at various events, like for instance, the Silverstone Classic 2018.

There’s no doubt that despite being somewhat special and rare, the 318is doesn’t have the same almost-arresting appearance as the E30 M3. But that’s exactly where its appeal lies. It’s bereft of flared wheel arches and you would be forgiven for misidentifying this as a regular E30. Having said that, its two-door body has more charm than the standard saloon.

The car has aged very well, it really is a superb example. Other than one very small bubble on the sun roof, the bodywork presents superbly

Our vendor drove this car over 400 miles to our HQ, and unfortunately the front left hubcap has gone missing on the journey.

This E30 318is is a step upwards from the standard 318i in the interior department as well. But before that, it’s imperative to appreciate the dashboard which is slightly curved towards the driver, to make them feel more important. The quality of plastics is said to be good, with some reviewers noting that it was better than the rivals. This particular car has been specced with a few optional extras, which further up its desirability. The sunroof isn’t a manual one but rather an electrical one. The cloth seats (standard) have made way for optional leather seats. The rear headrests were also optional extras, and so was the 13-button onboard computer. Another box ticked by the original owner was the two-speaker radio/cassette player by Pioneer. Thankfully it exists the way it was originally and isn’t replaced by an aftermarket touchscreen unit.

The vendor mentions that the front seats have signs of wear whereas the rear seats have been used minimally. He further states that the interior is in ‘excellent’ shape and everything works the way it’s supposed to. The onboard computer works well, too.

The 318is was a no-frills, two-door performance car, one which you had to work a bit to gain progress. Its 1.8-litre engine might’ve shared a fair bit with the preceding unit, but this engine, codenamed ‘M42’ was a bit more than just an update. It was the first non-M-model engine with a twin cam. This 16-valve version also benefited from Bosch fuel injection and updated components like lighter pistons, forged steel crankshaft, etc. As a result, it made an impressive 134 bhp. In true BMW fashion, the car was rear-wheel-drive — and had a 5-speed gearbox. Other standard bits were disc brakes on all four wheels and suspension, which has been replaced by O/E (original equipment) Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers.

The vendor mentions that it’s a well-maintained car and that shows in the way it looks and drives. After taking ownership of the car, he’s also got some repairs done, invoice records of which are presented along with the car, and discussed in the next section. He mentions that the car drives beautifully. Apart from the mechanicals and the bodywork, the wheels weren’t unnoticed, either — these have been refurbed as well, and now have new Continental Sport Contact tyres on them. The car is off the road (SORN) every winter, and is not driven in the rain, either, adds the vendor.

The 1991 BMW 318is comes with a full-service history. It also makes sense to note this has just had two owners, both of whom have maintained it well. The first owner had it as his company car, which, at the end of its term, was converted into his personal car. The vendor took ownership in 2014.

This 318is was first registered on May 1, 1991. The first service/check-up was carried out on May 31. The service booklet has been stamped with the last service at 86899 miles. Looking at the receipts, after that, the vendor got various repairs done including new suspension, major service (at 88k miles) and minor work, too. He had all fluids replaced, including diff oil, gearbox oil, power steering fluid, and coolant and also did the spark plugs and all breather hoses.

The car comes with two keys, all the original booklets, previous MoT certificates, service receipts, original owner’s manuals, etc. It cleared its latest MoT, which as mentioned earlier, is valid for a few more months. In terms of mileage, it has done about 10k miles with the current owner in the last seven years. The odometer reads 97149 miles.

The BMW 318is might not be an M3, but it’s still a sporting car. One will need to push it to extract all the performance, but that’s bound to make driving the car more interactive — and fun, of course. At a fraction of what you’d pay for the E30 M3, this is a car that appeals to driving enthusiasts but with a simpler formula: less is more. We estimate between £15,000 - £20,000.

This well-specced 318is comes with useful optional extras, like front fog lamps, leather seats, electric sunroof, etc. The vendor confirms that it’s in good condition, both inside and outside. And it drives well, too. For a thirty-year-old car, it’s still not done 100,000 miles. But having spent its life with two loving owners, the third one has big shoes to fill. That mustn’t be a reason to worry as the car is mechanically sorted and needs no work; tax it and it'll be ready to be enjoyed.

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and as stated this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.