1985 BMW 318i – 5-speed survivor with 96k miles

Model History

The BMW E30 3 Series…BMW’s entry level luxury lineup produced from 1982 through 1994. Close your eyes, you can picture it now…red convertible 325, wife of a stockbroker driving it with overdone hair, sweatbands on her wrists, tennis racket in the back, pulling into the country club with Peter Gabriel belting out “In Your Eyes”. It was Bud Fox’s (aka Charlie Sheen) car of choice in Wall Street and just about every other hit TV show of the 1980’s where the ethos of a yuppy lifestyle was needed. We would have to believe this is exactly what Claus Luthe had in mind, when in 1978, he penned what would become the iconic ultimate driving machine. With it would be the first 4-door, the first wagon, the first diesel and the first all-wheel drive variants for the German automaker. The ever so popular replacement to the E21 would go on to sale over 2.4M units during the 10 year run.

Car History

Bidding is now live on this low mileage very well kept 1985 manual transmission BMW 318i. It presents all-original with just 96k miles on the clock since new.  The Polaris Silver paint shines very well with only a few scuff marks in various places. The black vinyl seats show little to no wear and the dash appears to be without cracks. The roof headliner is clean with no sagging. The manual sunroof reportedly works without issue. The seller just recently acquired the car and has driven over 100 miles with no issues. He reports the engine sounds healthy, and the 5-speed transmission moves freely and easily through all the gears. All of the electronics work as they should per the seller. The antenna was recently replaced as well as window switches that were starting to fade.  Recently replaced were the front rotors, pads, and calipers.

Known Issues

The seller reports that the passenger side window regulator works but is skipping a gear and prevents the window from lowering. There is no rust reported on the car but the muffler has rust. The air conditioner holds a charge but is currently not working and it was not reported why this may be. The seller claims the clutch should be replaced within next year but currently is operating fine. The seller purchased the vehicle and has the signed title from the prior owner.

Bidding at Second Daily

As a reminder, Second Daily implements a Dynamic (proxy) bid. If your proxy bid amount exceeds the reserve price, it will only bid to the reserve. It will increment up to your maximum if someone bids against you. More information can be found on our How it Works page.

Bid now on this survivor, complete with tool kit, manual transmission and how it felt to own one in 1985…sweatbands not included.  We can arrange for shipping to your door if needed.

Disclaimer: We do our best to represent the vehicle from the information provided but this should not be implied as an inspection. Second Daily is not the owner of the vehicle and therefore we recommend as with any online vehicle purchase, as a potential buyer you should either arrange to visit it in person for a personal inspection, or hire a professional service to conduct a pre-purchase inspection. The full VIN number is available upon request, as potential buyers, you can perform your due diligence to determine if this vehicle meets your standards. Second Daily is not liable for the condition or contents of the vehicle. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information.