Bring a Trailer Auctions, E30 edition

[phillipj]

That's a beautiful wagon, I've always loved the 2003 (last year of the) e39, but you could build one for $25k if you were so inclined. Are we in a car-bubble?

[Stanley Rockafella]

Are we in a car-bubble?

Yes, we are.

And just like the Canadian housing market, prices will never go down.

[Jokester]

I think that car is almost on par price wise, look at what the e63 amg is selling for, which is what I would compare it to.

72k is a little crazy but I think 60k is on the money

[2mAn]

1992 325i Convertible

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-bmw-325i-convertible-2/

[JimmyP]

Don't want to derail this thread to badly, since this isn't e30 content, but what are everyone's thoughts on this (it's the S62 e39 touring):

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...ng-conversion/

The swap was looked really clean, well thought out and executed, its a really neat package, I like the car alot and Im sure its great to drive, but not what I would do with $72K.

Its sort of a one of one car, so someone is going to really "want" it (as they did for $72K), but I'd find it hard to justify that even if I had an "extra" 6 figures of cash sitting around saying "buy something cool". Thats not what I'd buy.

[JimmyP]

See, I come from the domestic, muscle car world originally. And a non-matching numbers block makes all the difference in value. It was weird switching to Bimmers where there was little concern of the block not being original to the car.

Me as well, but everything I ever owned was a "hot rod" of some kind. I was never in the camp of the numbers matching guys. wasnt my thing.
I was actually driving my dual quad 400ci / Muncie M21 / 4.88 GTO past the BMW dealer when I saw my first E30M3 sitting in the showroom window.
I never ever cared a minute for a furrin car before.
I stopped, literally stopped my GTO, pulled into their lot, got out, and went to look at it. Car sitting there idling like a coffee can full of rocks through dual 3" Purple Hornie glass packs LOL. Standing there staring at a 4 cylinder.
I went to my mothers house where my brother lived who loved German cars and had a BMW E21 at the time and asked him "whats that orange car in the BMW dealer",,, to which he said thats an M3. Handed me a Road and Track, a Car and Driver which it was featured in at that time. I rarely ever touched those kinds of books, I read Hot Rod and Car Craft lol.
I became obsessed with that M3 in the showroom. I needed to learn everything about it, and then became obsessed with owning one.
The rest as they say is history for me.

That being said, if the compression is good and you're not trying to pass it off as all original something-something, then run it.

Agree 100%. Your butt has no idea what numbers are on the block, the trans, the fenders, when you are having a blast in it.

My axe to grind is just BAT as an entity. I hate what they have become, vs what they were. But like anything related to the internet, you can't put the Genie back in the bottle, and so BAT is pretty much always going to be an auction site from now until it self destructs.

Man, truer words have never been written about BAT.
I loved it when I signed up before the auctions.
Now I loathe most of the people in the comments section, but I do still enjoy looking at the cars. I look every day.
Some really cool cars pass through that site.

[2mAn]

22 auctions have ended this year and we are now at 11 meeting reserve and 11 not...

[achtunge30]

22 auctions have ended this year and we are now at 11 meeting reserve and 11 not...

and i'm awaiting mine to go up next week.

[djjerme]

22 auctions have ended this year and we are now at 11 meeting reserve and 11 not...

44K wasn't bad money for that car tbh.

[2mAn]

and i'm awaiting mine to go up next week.

44K wasn't bad money for that car tbh.

I agree... at least we know this one will sell...

1988 M3

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-bmw-m3-71/

[JimmyP]

44K wasn't bad money for that car tbh.

Im betting he was looking for $50K.
Everyone thinks their E30M3 is now worth $50K because some nice ones sell for that. They really believe they are all worth $50K.

Its like this vision they see every time they look at the car in their garage, they imagine a $50K check.

I really wish this bubble would burst like the Hindenburg.
I mean they are slow, torque-less 4 cylinders with very fragile and unbelievably expensive engines, that no one can work on that require constant maintenance. I cant see why anyone would ever want one. Completely overrated.

[Torston]

Im betting he was looking for $50K.
Everyone thinks their E30M3 is now worth $50K because some nice ones sell for that. They really believe they are all worth $50K.

Its like this vision they see every time they look at the car in their garage, they imagine a $50K check.

I really wish this bubble would burst like the Hindenburg.
I mean they are slow, torque-less 4 cylinders with very fragile and unbelievably expensive engines, that no one can work on that require constant maintenance. I cant see why anyone would ever want one. Completely overrated.

Go have a look at the last three Sotheby's auctions, specifically the Youngtimer collection they are auctioning off the first half of this year. The bubble is just getting started.

[djjerme]

I mean they are slow, torque-less 4 cylinders with very fragile and unbelievably expensive engines, that no one can work on that require constant maintenance. I cant see why anyone would ever want one. Completely overrated.

Lol - I see what you're doing there.. ;)


But how did the current one get relisted? I thought BAT's own rules were that a car couldn't be relisted by the same seller? I didn't see anything with the last time around on that car that would warrant a relisting (no-paying winner, incorrect listing..etc.) This would be a first that I've seen where they allowed a relist like this. Is BAT slipping, or did they only allow it to be relisted because the seller went No Reserve?

[JimmyP]

I thought / think the rule is no re-lists by same owner "unless" it goes at No Reserve.

[2mAn]

I dont know, they are definitely loosening their rules. There was a "special edition" Cayman that went up twice, both times with a reserve and didnt hit reserve either time