There are some cars that command our attention when they come up for sale, and the BMW 3200CS is one of them. Just over 500 were built and far fewer survive today, making the discovery of one in any condition notable. This 1963 example here on eBay is less of a discovery and more of a liquidation by the owner of the last 10 years, who is hoping to net $50K in the sale. You’ve got to really want one of these classic BMW coupes to take a chance on this one, because that body is a righteous mess. Still, owning the car that made the “Hofmeister kink” a design staple on BMWs to this very day could be enough to persuade someone to part ways with some big money for the chance to restore a car rarely seen on the road. If you’re reading this and end up buying this basket-case, please – make sourcing a correct set of taillights the first order of business. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Charles H for the find.
Wouldn’t mind, but don’t have the coin that this is going to need, body work, glass, drive train rebuild etc. Never noticed on the couple BMWs I had, but did BMW mark the rears like many of the salvage yards in the states do?
Interesting you mention the Hofmeister kink. This body was actually shaped for BMW by Giorgetto Giugiaro whilst at Bertone. It appeared at roughly the same time (1961) as the Neue Klasse saloon designed in-house by Wilhelm Hofmeister. I’m really curious as to who came up with the kink first if anyone can chime in.
Many cars had a Hofmeister-like hockey stick C-pillar. Off the top of my head: the ’48 Tucker, the ’51 Kaiser, the ’54 Studebaker, the ’60 Plymouth Fury.
True, including Giugiaro’s shapes before this one. But did Hofmeister see this before putting it on the 1500 saloon?
Similar drivetrain but a world of difference between this coupe and a 507. I really like BMW coupes but this one has limited appeal—very slab sided, and the rear has been hurt by what appear to be later, large and ugly tail lights in place of the smaller more elegant original round lights. The only part with any grace is the greenhouse, aided by that kink.
I remember when the first perfect 507 went for $1 million. Now that’s a routine price, but I can’t see these coupes ever coming anywhere close to that even with the similar drivetrain. The body on this one looks like it will be a very expensive restoration. I’d much rather have an excellent 3.0 CS, probably for a lot less money in the end, even if it has a 6 instead of a V8.
I remember missing this by a day on craigslist about 8-10 years ago.
This current owner has been nothing but detrimental to that car. Butchered in the VW taillights (though a simple roundie 2002 unit would have work, owner too cheap I guess).Never fixed the rust. One window out for a decade, even though it’s present…
From the dirt/sand/grime under the hood he’s had it on the back 40 acres for most of that time.
It has been for sale on and off for the whole time. Always keeping pace with rising prices, asking about double than what it’s worth.
What a shame.
OOhh, and also, hosing it off for photos in the front driveway will not make up what’s been done to that poor car….
I owned one of these about 15 years ago, it was a true barn find, bought it when the barn / shed fell over in a storm, bought it for £1200.00 unseen with the engine in bits, when I got it out of the collapsed shed the only extra damage was a dent on a wing, no broken glass, it used to belong to BMW UK and still had the registration plate 39 BMW attached, but it was butt ugly in the flesh, just could not get into it so I put it on ebay, it made £1200.00, should have kept it… I did think about making a replica 507 out of the chassis and running gear……………