Bring a Trailer Auctions, E30 edition

[Uber///m3]

You forgot the extra $15k E30 Sales Tax

$31K

Yeah I saw that this afternoon. That one went thru the roof! I think that’s a record on BaT for an appearance package car.

[midnight_marauder]

Alright, I’m going to say it now that the auction is over.

$31k... it’s left me scratching my head since the auction went to $20k. It’s a nice car, sure. But it’s an appearance package with aftermarket seat covers. It was well sorted but it wasn’t a purist’s car, either. An all original, amazingly well sorted genuine mtech 2 vert sold for less than this entry a year ago. $31k is now entering M3 pricing. We’ve seen drivers M3s on BaT sell for $26k last summer.

Now, there have been other non m3 e30s bringing top dollar since January 2020 as well. What used to be in the $10-15k range in late 2019 is now in the $20-25k range. So maybe the buyer didn’t overpay on this vert. Maybe those of us with well sorted e30s have found their value appreciate to nearly double. This summer will really gauge whether this COVID markup is the new market price for very well sorted e30s.

It’s a wild time to be an e30 owner. I really thought e30s, m3s and otherwise, had their appreciation bubble burst back in 2019. But it appears we may have only just begun.

[varg]

That is nuts. It's not just me being a convertible hater either, $31K is legitimately a lot of money for what amounts to a clean garden variety mtech equipped convertible. It's not an all original purist collector car, it's not a low miles survivor, it's not a meticulously restored better-than-new car, just a clean car with some minor modifications. Like many you see on this very forum every day.

[2mAn]

1989 S50 swapped Convertible

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-bmw-325ic-8/

[e30austin]

That is nuts. It's not just me being a convertible hater either, $31K is legitimately a lot of money for what amounts to a clean garden variety mtech equipped convertible. It's not an all original purist collector car, it's not a low miles survivor, it's not a meticulously restored better-than-new car, just a clean car with some minor modifications. Like many you see on this very forum every day.

agreed, it's a nice car, but i never thought it would bring $31k. makes me wonder what my own MT2 cabrio will be worth if i ever finish it...slowly becoming a "meticulously restored" car

[Uber///m3]

Getting closer to possibly putting my M Technic II up with prices climbing like they are on BaT (and especially overseas)...

[midnight_marauder]

That M3 did very well, too.

[reelizmpro]

$31k is absolutely nuts but good for the seller. He made out like a bandit. White appearance package cars have been selling for under 10k for a long time. 10-20k makes sense but beyond 20k (let alone 31k???) just doesn't add up to me. Beyond that I'd be looking at full M tech cars and M3's but that's just me. Makes me wonder if the buyer knows the difference between appearance package and full M techs? Probably not. We had to clarify it here on the forums a few years back as many people never knew these even existed. Or it could be they really like white.

Someone mentioned how Covid is affecting sales. I think with many peoples lives disrupted, it gives us all more time, often online to browse. We are already doing most of our shopping online so why not cars too? So I think more people are discovering the auctions. Also it shows how fragile life can be and if there's something you want, you should go for it.

[midnight_marauder]

$31k is absolutely nuts but good for the seller. He made out like a bandit. White appearance package cars have been selling for under 10k for a long time. 10-20k makes sense but beyond 20k (let alone 31k???) just doesn't add up to me. Beyond that I'd be looking at full M tech cars and M3's but that's just me. Makes me wonder if the buyer knows the difference between appearance package and full M techs? Probably not. We had to clarify it here on the forums a few years back as many people never knew these even existed. Or it could be they really like white.

Someone mentioned how Covid is affecting sales. I think with many peoples lives disrupted, it gives us all more time, often online to browse. We are already doing most of our shopping online so why not cars too? So I think more people are discovering the auctions. Also it shows how fragile life can be and if there's something you want, you should go for it.

You know what’s crazy though is there were many comments that it was not a true mtech. And there were multiple bidders willing to go past 30k. Heck, the competing bidder commented AFTER the auction mentioning that he regrets not going higher (!!). It could’ve sold closer to $40k then!

COVID pricing doesn’t make sense, for sure. I think it’s a combo of more time to browse, more time to mod, stimulus checks, and the fact that very few cars are going to market. It was hard to find well sorted e30s on Craigslist before; it’s even harder now with COVID. I don’t think the market will go down after COVID. The e30 and Porsche market is so intriguing to me - it’s about as unpredictable as the real stock market. It’s fun, it’s exciting... it’s the modern day ‘57 Chevy.

[TrentW]

Alright, I’m going to say it now that the auction is over.

$31k... it’s left me scratching my head since the auction went to $20k. It’s a nice car, sure. But it’s an appearance package with aftermarket seat covers. It was well sorted but it wasn’t a purist’s car, either. An all original, amazingly well sorted genuine mtech 2 vert sold for less than this entry a year ago. $31k is now entering M3 pricing. We’ve seen drivers M3s on BaT sell for $26k last summer.

Now, there have been other non m3 e30s bringing top dollar since January 2020 as well. What used to be in the $10-15k range in late 2019 is now in the $20-25k range. So maybe the buyer didn’t overpay on this vert. Maybe those of us with well sorted e30s have found their value appreciate to nearly double. This summer will really gauge whether this COVID markup is the new market price for very well sorted e30s.

It’s a wild time to be an e30 owner. I really thought e30s, m3s and otherwise, had their appreciation bubble burst back in 2019. But it appears we may have only just begun.

Agree with your view on this. Even though I'm not a huge fan of verts, and/or white E30's, I admit for an appearance package car it's clean and seems to be well taken care of, but $31k? That is tall money!

[Mike36]

Someone mentioned how Covid is affecting sales. I think with many peoples lives disrupted, it gives us all more time, often online to browse. We are already doing most of our shopping online so why not cars too? So I think more people are discovering the auctions. Also it shows how fragile life can be and if there's something you want, you should go for it.

Very well said. I was expecting the opposite and was ready to buy a project coupe. All of a sudden, project e30's are going for 5k and up.

[rjmcdermott81]

I’ve been totally surprised by the BAT sales as well. I think y’all are right about people spending more time online searching. I also wouldn’t want to go look at 10 cars in person with things as they are so I guess BAT gives people community vetted cars they can buy from home.

I gotta say. With e30 values like this it’s making it harder for me to hang on to mine. With 31k you could buy 3 cool old cars to wrench on...

[2mAn]

1990 325i Convertible

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-bmw-325i-78/

1990 M3

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-bmw-m3-46/

[Uber///m3]

[QUOTE=2mAn;n9926471]1990 325i Convertible

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-bmw-325i-78/

Oh my! Another $30 Grand car?

[2mAn]

1988 M3

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-bmw-m3-96/

1991 S52 swapped Touring
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...25i-touring-2/







1987 325

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-bmw-325-23/