Is my car "rare"?

[BavarianSwap]

Hello fellow E30 fans. I have a question for you vets out there:
How "rare" is a 91 E30 318i (four door)? I've been told by a few people that they are. I have one that is pretty clean/untouched and, I'm having trouble deciding if I should leave it that way.

I have a complete 5 lug and motor swap that I want to transplant into a new shell. Your thoughts?
Thanks!

[nando]

it's rare like chrome bottlecaps - there's a reason it's rare. ;)

basically, yes, but it's never going to be worth anything - it's a stripper model 318. The 318is maybe has a chance at being worth something someday but probably not when we have the E30 M3 in our blood.

[mamzak]

rare-er. Not very rare at all though. Just more so than say a 1989 2-door 325i.

[BavarianSwap]

Cool. I had to go back and edit the post because I left out the very last part. Thanks : )

[freeride53]

yeah, when compared to other base model e30s.
but e30s aren't really rare. so not really.
Get crackin with yours, I have one too. ;)

[BavarianSwap]

nando
Funny....and very true!

mamzak
Thank you for your insight/input.

freeride53
Your car is nice! Thank you too.

[Cabriolet]

your car is about as rare as a burnt steak.

[tjts1]

The M42/4 door was only produced for the US/Canada market and only sold for 1 year so its more rare than an E30 M3. All other markets got the 8 valve M40. The only other E30 sold in smaller numbers in the US would probably be the 91 318i vert. Does that make it worth something? no.

[BavarianSwap]

Thanks guys. I'm starting not to feel too bad about doing the swap etc..

[dkbmxer002]

The M42/4 door was only produced for the US/Canada market and only sold for 1 year so its more rare than an E30 M3. All other markets got the 8 valve M40. The only other E30 sold in smaller numbers in the US would probably be the 91 318i vert. Does that make it worth something? no.

i thought the 318is's were low on the list too?

[tjts1]

i thought the 318is's were low on the list too?

They sold about 2 IS for every 1 I in the US market in 1991. The IS was offered in other markets starting 1989.

318is - 3 years in production, about 40k sold
318i/M42 - 1 year in production, about 5k sold.
Out of about 2.3 million E30s produced.

[dkbmxer002]

i was just speaking for the american market too. but didn't realize the i's were more rare than the is's.

[LJ851]

Its more medium-rare than rare.

[Ryann]

The M42/4 door was only produced for the US/Canada market and only sold for 1 year so its more rare than an E30 M3. All other markets got the 8 valve M40. The only other E30 sold in smaller numbers in the US would probably be the 91 318i vert. Does that make it worth something? no.

The official production number is 6,7xx. In terms of officially imported U.S. e30's I think that makes it the third most rare e30 behind the 318ic and M3. Like tjts1 is saying it'll never be a collector car, although it might be tough to find an unmolested one ten or twenty years from now.

[reelizmpro]

The official production number is 6,7xx. In terms of officially imported U.S. e30's I think that makes it the third most rare e30 behind the 318ic and M3. Like tjts1 is saying it'll never be a collector car, although it might be tough to find an unmolested one ten or twenty years from now.

Don't forget the M Tech convertibles. 4 door 318i rare? perhaps but just because they weren't that desirable to begin with. The car has to be rare and desirable to be worth anything.