1976 BMW (E3) 3.3 LI

KEY FACTS

• This long wheelbase BMW E3 is a well-presented example of the ‘New Six’ luxury saloon, having benefited from a prior restoration and retaining its original, numbers-matching gearbox and engine.
• It is equipped with the range-topping 3.3-litre straight-six engine, coupled to a three-speed automatic gearbox.
• In left-hand drive configuration this EU-market model is believed to have begun life in Denmark before importation into the UK in 2017.
• The current vendor has owned the car for the past three years, and its five-digit odometer displays 17,182 km (which may well be 117,182 km).

EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES

• As the Bavarian marque’s Mercedes rival, this ‘New Six’ comes with a raft of luxury features for the time including headlight wipers, electric windows and leather upholstery
• Thought to be in almost entirely original specification, the BMW retains even its Blaupunkt Porto 21 stereo.
• It rides on later multi-spoke 16in BBS alloy wheels as seen on younger BMW models.
• The car will be supplied with its original handbook in Danish, as well as two BMW workshop manuals in English and photographic evidence of the restoration process. A spare windscreen will also be provided.
• A Danish BMW Club article on the car is also included in the history file.

CONDITION

• The E3 is believed to retain its original bodywork throughout, with the hard-to-find chromework still remaining.
• Microblistering is apparent across the paintwork, with several scratches and marks visible on the doors, rear three-quarter panel, bootlid and bonnet. Some minor corrosion and pitting is also visible, especially on the chrome bumpers, of which the front is dented.
• The beige leather interior shows slight ‘patina’, with creases and minor marks visible from over 40 years of use, but no rips in the upholstery.
• The vendor adds that one of the gear indicator lights is not working, and that the left-hand rear electric window does not operate.
• The most recent MOT test was on 23 May 2017, which the car passed at the first time of asking. Advisories were noted for an oil leak, a crack in the windscreen and leaking from the power steering pump.
• Due to the age of this BMW, it is no longer mandatory for it to undergo further MOT testing. It is also exempt from the road fund licence charge, making for a cost-effective classic.

SERVICE HISTORY

• The most recent service was carried out on 18 November 2016 at 13,700 miles by Convertible Cars. This entailed replacement of the engine oil and filter, the gearbox oil and inspection of the braking system.

SUMMARY

This BMW E3 3.3 LI is a stylish and rare classic flagship saloon of the late 1970s. While there are some cosmetic imperfections, these could be remedied in time. It remains in mechanically good order and is a turn-key example, ready to entertain its next owner – and their family or friends – on summer cruises or longer-distance road trips.

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All UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and has no finance owing.