When it comes to vintage BMWs, we tend to become mildly fixated on the classic 2002 and the always-valuable E9 3.0 coupes. The sedans get far less love and attention, and it’s a shame because they are equally great at what they do, which is to be a surprisingly competent driver’s car for something this old. This particular 1973 BMW Bavaria sedan is a garage find that comes with the hard-to-find manual gearbox and seemingly rot-free condition. It’s said to be just out of long-term “storage” but sadly, the head has been off the car for an unknown amount of time. It does come with it, but you’ll have a bit of a project on your hands. Find the BMW here on eBay for $12,950.
While looks are subjective, I’ve always felt like the Bavaria was one of the more handsome cars BMW made. While it was certainly related to the E9 coupe, the two-door model has rocketed up in value and is sought-after by collectors worldwide. The sedan hasn’t enjoyed the same level of passion, and values have remained fairly stagnant. That said, there’s always the occasional outlier wherein a survivor specimen sells for very real money – over $30,000 in some cases – but those examples are few and far between. Most of them are found as projects and many of them have an automatic transmission. This Bavaria looks straight and true down the sides, with all of its hubcaps still attached.
Like any older luxury car, the interiors were high-end affairs – and they can look quite tired if the car was left exposed to the elements or neglected before it went into storage. While there’s no guarantee the leather isn’t stiff as a board, it does look good in photos, at least worthy of giving it a quick detailing and seeing if it comes back to life. The dashboard doesn’t appear to be cracked, which would make sense if it’s been hiding out in the dark confines of a garage, away from the sun’s penetrating rays. BMW dashboards are notoriously fragile, so finding one that isn’t cracked is a victory in and of itself. The original radio is also present, another bonus for the next owner.
The Bavaria is shown here being loaded up, as the seller is a familiar face in the classic barn find acquiring and flipping space. Still, I give them credit (them being Gullwing Motorcars) because many high-end dealers wouldn’t even bother putting a car like this in the showroom. It’s a car worthy of being saved, but the fact that the head was pulled leaves all sorts of questions for the next potential owner. Obviously, you don’t pull the head for the hell of it, so there’s likely a good reason why it was pulled in the first place, and then you have to wonder what sort of damage may have been done if the internals weren’t adequately protected. Before buying a car like this, more details and an in-person assessment are advised – but even with bad news under the hood, the manual gearbox and clean body still deem it worthy of being saved in my book.
They are handsome cars and drive better than most of the European offerings at the time. I was surprised to see this has a 5-speed. I figured 4-speeds would still be the transmission in 73. I do need to recalibrate my brain to the higher selling prices for these as it just seemed like yesterday when they could be had for $2500 in this condition. I miss my e28 535i. Most considered the car to be stodgy and boring but those were the best built BMW’s.
I’m pretty sure this is a 4 speed. My Dad had this car and this is the car I learned to drive a stick on. My Dad’s was blue – LOVED this car!! He had it 73 through 89. Reverse was over to the left and up – turn signals were on the right of the steering column.
I don’t think you saw who’s selling this –
it’s a dealer who has high-priced restoation-
needed cars.
I think you’d have a fortune into this,
if you paid the asking price & restored it.
I saw. I was just reminiscing about the good old days when these were cheap. I realize that all these classic car companies that have sprung up in recent years to capitalize on the strong classic car market are pricing these cars for maximum profits to unsuspecting buyers. Even buying this car at $2500 would probably put you upside down to restore it.
No Bavaria (in fact no E3) came with a 5 speed. Auto or 4 speed only. If it has one it is a transplant from a later M30 powered BMW.
My 1972 Bavaria was a four speed manual. The shift pattern is on the dash, just visible over the steering wheel at approximately 2 o’clock: four speed.
These were Max Hoffman ( the importer at the time) specials. They had vinyl seat covers and roll up windows. The 3.0S got leather, electric window lifts, fuel injection and a bit of wooden trim on the door caps and dashboard.
The engine in the Bavaria was a 3.0 twin carb version. Senior Six. Wonderfully smooth inline six. An older lady who worked in the same building I did had a 3.0S and parked it in the same garage as I. She made the comment that the faster you drove it, the better the car drove.
These car had an interesting ignition key and switch. Instead of the traditional key, it had a key that was countersunk for spring loaded pins to line up in the holes. I discovered the design when one day I turned the car off and the entire mechanism backed out of the steering column into my hand; springs, pins and all. The car could then be started with a screwdriver. Good times!
Without the trunklid badge, it’s hard to tell at a glance if this is truly a Bavaria, but if so, that interior upholstery is almost certainly vinyl, not leather. The Bavaria was a “hot rod special” — low-spec model with the largest engine available — ordered up by the US importer, Max Hoffman. The same model and engine with high-spec trim would have been sold and badged as a 3.0S for this model year.
Drove one regularly early 80’s – great car..this is way, way overpriced, frankly..
Beautiful looking car. I used to know someone who had a BMW 3.0 Bavaria. IMHO, it’s the best looking car BMW offered at the time. I’d buy one if it had an automatic gearbox. Desirable? Maybe not, but I’d drive it if it’s been cared for by its previous owner. Given its condition, I’d pay around $10,000 for it. I’d have enough money left over to pay for inspection and insurance.
way too much for me as a project car….but would def be a sweet fun ride to thrash a little bit ……
Not to sound like a broken record but why give free space to these businesses With the prices they charge they can afford advertising. I don’t mind individuals making a buck but theses guys aren’t honest in there description Barn Finds is aiding the act of fraud .
Uncle had one, great car when new, note the treatment of the rear door windows, and then, the first Chevy Cavalier and its corporate siblings, my Caddy Cimaron was the same body, and, was trimmed much the same as the BMW which it was designed to compete with. And, used, for $2000, the Cimaron was a great car, went over 200,000 miles before the rust and the electrical gremlins got it.
In the mid 1970s I worked in the service dept of one of the largest BMW dealerships in the USA — VOB in Bethesda, MD. This is the second 4-speed Bavaria I’ve ever seen, the only other was owned by my boss who was a well-known BMW guy who eventually opened his own shop. He had a silver Bavaria that was mint, and it was stickshift. I drove it once while my boss was driving his new red M-1 back from the port of delivery, and the Bavaria was a joy to drive, trying to catch up to the M-1!
While the Bavaria emblem is missing from the trunk lid, I was able to make out the lettering for “Bavaria” in the faded paint.
Having been open for probably decades, that entire engine will require a total overhaul, and let’s hope mice didn’t nest inside the engine, as they are very capable of getting inside the block thru the oil holes at the top of the block. I’ve seen several cars where mice made a nest on one of the crank throws, and their urine soaked into the crank journals, causing severe corrosion on the crank.
Considering the car needs considerable small bodywork on many panels and new paint, plus interior work and unknown mechanical repairs, when all is considered, this is realistically worth only about $5k, and I rate it that high only because of the 4-speed.
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