BMW has been known for many things, and chief among them is being a pioneer in the sport sedan segment. While the 3-Series is the model that typically gets all the glory, the larger 5-Series is almost more impressive in my book as it’s a larger car that’s just as capable at hustling down the backroads, and is quite engaging to drive when equipped with a manual gearbox. This 1973 BMW Bavaria listed here on eBay is otherwise known as an E3 or, more affectionately, the “Senior Six,” as it is the elder statesman of the company’s four-door line up. This is a former donation car equipped with the preferred 5-speed manual.
The Bavaria set the groundwork for what would become BMW’s bread-and-butter recipe for dominating the sports sedan segment: four doors, an inline-six, and three pedals. This cocktail of equipment would lead to many drivers of sports cars and coupes to migrate over to BMW when the time came for more space, or a more mature daily driver (or both.) In my mind, the 5-Series represents the perfect blend of space and pace, and BMW established itself as an enthusiast brand by stuffing I6 and V8 engines into a sedate sedan body with the option to row your own gears. The Bavaria as shown here had to have been a revelation when it was introduced to a market that never traditionally associated four-doors with a sporting driving experience.
The Bavaria shown here is, as noted above, was snatched up the seller after it was donated. Given the car is located in Taunton, Massachusetts, I’m surprised it’s not far rustier than it is. The seller, in fact, claims that the floors and frame look good, so perhaps this car resided out west before ending up in New England. The interior remains very close to stock condition as far as I can tell, with the bus-like steering wheel, flat-bottomed bucket seats, and woodgrain trim on the dash. Interestingly, there is no radio, and I always thought the U.S.-market cars came standard with a radio. The dash appears to be in good shape.
For 1972, the Bavaria’s displacement rose from 2.8L to 3.0L, which was effectively the introduction of the long-lived M30 engine in the U.S. marketplace. This torque-y inline-six would go onto become one of the most utilized engines in BMW’s lineup and receive industry awards for its durability and out-of-the-box performance. What’s extra desirable about this Bavaria is that it predates the conversion to the ungainly “safety bumpers” that marred the exterior appearance of many European models, so between the cosmetic advantages and the manual gearbox, this is a donation car worth saving. The Bavaria is offered for the measly sum of $1,973 or best offer.
Got to detail one of these back when they were new.
I thought that it was really cool,& different from the American
cars that I usually did.
Wonder how hard it would be to get this running. The body looks to be pretty good. Just primer where the seller sanded the hood and fenders. Unbelievable price, unless it really is just a parts car.
The Bavaria was a “hot rod special” commissioned by the US importer Max Hoffman, putting the larger, more powerful engine of the high-spec 2800 model into the lighter and cheaper base-spec 2500 model, then later the engine from the high-spec 3.0S into the updated base-spec 2800 model.
If the tin worm hasn’t aggressively attacked the body and undercarriage, this E3 should be worth restoring. These cars offered a degree of road handling not available in domestic sedans of the era without giving the driver a white knuckle experience.
According to the paperwork, at least one owner was in central New Jersey and the Title shown was issued in New York State.
Unfortunately, when the 2500 was introduced, a lot of folks didn’t know what it was, they thought it was British Motor Works, ugh! The 5 speed gearbox in the seller’s car is interesting. The 2500/2800 Owner’s Manual made no mention of a 5 speed as standard or optional. Don’t recall any Bavaria adverts of the day mentioning availability of a 5 speed. It would be interesting to pull a build sheet on this car.
I bought one of the first 2500 models to be imported by Max Hoffman during the summer of 1969. When Road & Track published their survey of E3 owners, my 2500 sedan had the then highest recorded mileage @ 72K. I kept accurate records of all costs (purchase, registration, operating, maintenance, repair and insurance). At the 120K mile mark, it was the most economical new car I’ve owned. I added a Lucas pencil beam long range and a flat beam fog lamp for night drives off the Interstates and an ANSA exhaust system to bring out the sweet sound of that 2.5L inline six. The central location of the ANSA exhaust tips under the fuel filler was always disconcerting. I put the car in storage during the mid 1970’s and sold it to a collector in 2001.
With regard to radios being standard equipment on U.S. spec. cars, my ’69 Model 2500 arrived Stateside sans radio. I had the local BMW dealer install a Blaupunkt Frankfurt AM/SW/FM which I retained when I sold the car.
Hopefully, the seller’s car is worth restoring and will see many more years as a daily driver if not a trophy winner.
Excellent take! I appriciate the info you brought up concerning this car as well as your’s. Enjoyed reading it. I appriciate it!
A gift. Someone with taste please save this car!