The Bavaria may not be the most loved model in the classic BMW lineup, but it represents a bargain today for that very fact. It was considered a full-size luxury car when new, but seems small when compared to its 7-Series successors. Many of the trademark BMW features are there including an inline-six and the kidney grills. Luckily, while all the E30s were being modified by teenagers, these big cars were laying dormant in their owner’s garages. This particular example looks very original in the photos and is claimed to run. The seller mentions that it needs a tuneup, but they have an extra Zenith carburetor and two rebuild kits for it. A manual would be the icing on the cake, but I think this Bimmer could still make a great long distance driver. It’s located in Ft. Walton, Florida and is listed for sale here on craigslist for $2,000. Thanks for the tip Chuck F!
Absolute steal. No one else would have it at your local car show!
yes it seems like a good deal. it has been a long time since i have seen one of these on the road. this and the bmw on the credit card classics site are both worth looking at. nice find
Borgward Macht Weiter
I believe “Runs but needs a tune up. I have an extra Zenith Carb and two Zenith Carb Re-build kits. Has a new-er transmission (Automatic). Drives great…New Alternator. New Spark Plugs. ” translates to “Something’s really screwed up” in plain English.
Not to mention the bottom of the doors is gone …
That car with an auto is slow as a snail. Drive and handles well for that time. A 1967 would be a 2800 not a Bavaria. I have had two one with triple webers high compression and a cam/ It was fast.
2 big minuses going agains it 1) Rust and 2) auto trans. Neither are easy fixes. No puctures of the rockers is a probable indication that they are pretty gone too. Not sure if the rockers can be found new old stock. That was the problem with the AR Berlinas.
Rust isn’t wonderful but at least he includes pics. Still, that is a buy for $2K.
Those photos reminded me WHY there is so few of them left.
They pretty much crumbled into that brown dust after 2 decades.
You can see in the back door photo that the unibody is caving in by the tight door fit……..
IF YOU ARE DESPARATE, this would be a (questionable and expensive) parts source.
These were not offered until Late 60ies (69 IIRC).
It came first as a 2.8 then 3.0 or later euro 2.5 liters.
Bavaria is a US designation not used in Europe and is somewhat synonamous with these E3 sedans
IIRC the ‘Bavara’ was a North-American-only model that had some features left off compared to the Euro cars so that it would sell cheaper (and better) over here because these weren’t cheap compared to a No American car of similar size. I remember that they looked good back in the day in spite of having fewer features.
My brother and I were just discussing one of these that’s been for sale in Maryland for months. Beautiful cars that are purely a labor of love if you want to save one. A manual transmission would make this a different story, but the future I see for this car is a $500 parts mule for one that’s been restored.
agree on the $500.00 parts car.
My MD uncle bought a new “advanced” car every few years, ’47 Studebaker, don’t remember the next one, ’55 Plymouth hardtop red and black, ’60 Fury convertible, ’63 Porsche, then the Bavaria, then a Toranado, then the Caddy Seville with the RR fast back, then a Mercedes, while his wife had the latest station wagon until the kids grew up. The Bavaria was really a solid road car, not all that peppy, but no problem cruising at 75 mph and feeling absolutely stable.
common guys…let’s get this straight…they were offered in 1969, but there was a 2500 model and a 2800…engine size mainly dictated difference but I believe the 2800 had a few more acutraments…In 1972, the Bavaria was marketed to replace the two of them. I had a 2500 (and a 2800CS coupe that were only about 20 serial numbers apart, although the coupe was a Karmann built body…An Atlanta doctor who sold me his green Bavaria was a friend of the great Max Hoffman who as I was told was so enamoured with the options the doctor had got on his Bavaria, caused Munich to rename the model the 3.0 the next year. When he sold his car to me, he took delivery of one of the first 630’s…In order to drive from Atlanta to the west coast Michigan of Michigan where he summered, the doctor had installed an auxillary 30 gallon fuel tank in the trunk…It really had range!
The Bavaria was another Max Hoffman creation, and came out in 1971. I went for a test drive when I saw the first ad, and bought one immediately, to replace my 2002. The Bavaria was the stripped 2500, with the larger 2800 engine, a vinyl interior (Americans didn’t like cloth back then), and some extra chrome trim. There were no power windows or seats like the 2800. Mine didn’t even have power steering, radio or alloy wheels. Out the door it was $6201.01. I joking asked the salesman if I should write the amount as $6200, and he calmly replied, “sixty two oh one, oh one.” He knew they would sell out as fast as they could get them.
I don’t know why anyone thinks it was sedate, it was not. The ads promised 128 mph. After a few years I installed a better ignition and the local BMW tech tweaked the carbs, and it clocked at 135 mph. It had the 2500’s rear axle, and that made it even quicker off the line.
I kept it until the mid 1980s and did a restoration in silver Imron. (All the BMWs with factory silver paint peeled back then).