1997 BMW Z3

First registered on the 31st of December 1997, this BMW Z3 Roadster is finished in Arctic Silver Metallic over a red leather interior. Fitted with the 1.9-litre petrol engine and five-speed manual gearbox, it is believed to have been in storage for the past dozen years, which helps account for the fact that it is still showing only 48,000 miles on the clock and four former keepers.

Recently recommissioned, it benefits from a full service, fettled brakes, new front tyres, and a machine polish. Just having passed an MOT with no advisories, there is still some room for cosmetic improvement making this a wonderful opportunity for its new owner to add value while they enjoy using this iconic modern classic.

The Arctic Silver Metallic coachwork looks very good. Free of dents, scrapes and other serious damage, the panel alignment is very good, as are the shutlines.

The flanks are free of ripples too, and the paintwork has a great shine to it. Take a good look for yourselves but we’ve been impressed by the absence of the rusty wheelarches and other minor corrosion that the model is known for.

Interestingly, the vendor had the thickness of the paint measured professionally and was told that it is almost certainly largely original, reassuring news that spurred him into having it machine polished, a process it responded to very well.

The folding black roof is in good shape. It fits well, is free of rips, tears, and other damage, and opens and closes as it should.

The five-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels are good too, and they’re shod with decent Pirelli tyres, the front ones of which are new.

The BMW does have a few stonechips and marks, most noticeably on the offside front bumper and the door mirrors.

The red leather interior suits the car’s silver coachwork very well, especially with the roof down, a state of affairs that allows the interior to be shown off to best effect.

The seats are only lightly creased, and while they would benefit from a clean and feed, they’re still free of damage and as firm and supportive as they’ve ever been.

The red theme extends to the (good) door cards. The black carpets, which are protected by red overmats, are in good shape.

The rest of the interior is simple and elegant and looking nearly as good now as it did when it was first installed almost 23 years ago.

The boot, which is home to the CD multichanger, battery, and partial toolkit, is clean and well ordered.

Flaws? Well, the gear knob is worn and the sill plates are a little scuffed. Not exactly misery memoir fodder, is it?

The car’s service history – and don’t forget that it was in storage from around 2008 until recently - comprises:

• 23.06.1998 and 9,322 miles

• 30.11.1999 and 13,209 miles

• No date given and 32,818 miles

• 22.11.2005 and 38,196 miles

The vendor tells us that the car has been recently recommissioned and serviced, and so runs and drives very well.

While the engine bay is clean and tidy, the vendor admits that the underside is the car’s weakest area but, as he rightly points out, rather than tarting it up with great gobs of underseal he’s left it as it is so that potential bidders can judge for themselves what work is required.

If it helps, he told us that he thinks it just needs wire brushing followed by a decent underseal/Waxoyl; he says that there’s certainly nothing serious there and absolutely no structural corrosion.

The Z3’s MOT certificate, which is valid until June 2021, was gained without a single advisory point, something it’s been doing for the past couple of years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, stamped service history, book pack, and storage wallet.

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 good standard.

NB: The cherished number is included.

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.

With a gorgeous colour combination and a mileage of under 50,000 miles, this is a rare opportunity to own a modern classic sportscar that doesn’t demand a degree in mechanical engineering to keep it on the road.

Engineered at a time when BMW could still claim to build The Ultimate Driving Machine with a straight face, this entry-level sportscar provides the modern classic enthusiast with a rare opportunity to be a genuinely original car for not a lot of money.

How little? Well, the vendor acknowledges the need to clean and rust-proof the underside and so is offering it with no reserve.

We expect the final hammer price to lie somewhere between £3000 and £6000 but it’s going to sell from the very first bid, so if you’re looking for a bit of cheap fun you can add value to at little cost, what are you waiting for?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in West London; 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’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.