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Euro-Spec E21 Barn Find: 1980 BMW 320/6

This 1980 BMW 320/6 is a dead-ringer for the barn find E21 I found in Connecticut a few years ago, right down to being a British market car with RHD steering. When I see finds like this, I’m even more amazed that my car ended up here in the first place and later on, in my garage. This one has been barn stored for 12 years and is a beautiful survivor, with a near-mind interior and very few exterior blemishes. Find it here on eBay with an asking price of approximately $21,000 US.

If you want to see how my E21 currently looks, check out this video of my junkyard-find Mercedes 190E 2.3-16, where the 320 makes a quick cameo towards the end. This 320 bears all the hallmarks of long-term barn storage, right down the dirt and dust coating every surface. I love the details that survive on cars like these, like the vintage BMW Car Club of Great Britain sticker still in the back glass. The seller also captures pictures in the gallery of a perfectly preserved owners portfolio and OEM flashlight in the glovebox.

The interior is much like mine was, looking far better than you’d expect for years of outdoor storage. The seats and door panels show very well, and none of the typical cracks are evident in the dash. The seller doesn’t disclose whether the horsehair stuffing in the seats is still holding up, a common age-related failure in these older BMWs. Regardless, the combination of a manual gearbox and 2.0L inline-six is a good one, and the driver-oriented cabin helps make the most of it.

It’s not a particularly powerful engine, but it is smooth, like most inline-six designs. I’ve since converted mine to triple Webers which wakes the engine up nicely and makes a wonderful snorty noise. This car presents the next owner with the option to leave it stock or make some subtle modifications as I’ve done to give it some spark and help it chase down the more powerful 323i that came later. Still, survivors like these are difficult to find, and this one deserves to be preserved as much as possible.

Comments

  1. Avatar Ralph

    These look so much better without 11ft of bumper……..

    Like 3
    • Avatar Mike Gabrawy

      I personally enjoy pulling up a bench and having a family picnic on the front bumper of my 77 e21.

      Like 3
  2. Avatar DRV

    Sweetest little 6 there is….

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Unobtanium Matt

    One of my favorite BMWs of all time. Didn’t know you had one! But I don’t think I could drive a RHD German car in the US. Too much weirdness there.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Brian Ach

    Haha 21k for a RHD 320? Nope.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar pat gill

    change the timing belt / tensioner every 50,000 miles, oil every 10,000 miles and replace the 4 barrel solex with something else, anything else, maybe the 2 barrel Webber or triple sidedrafts, you could even drop in a 2500cc M20 engine on webbers, don’t bother with the 2.7eta engine, built for economy not performance,

    Like 0
  6. Avatar local_sheriff

    That’s insane amounts of $ for an e21! OK , it presents well and has a desirable driveline combo. RHD specific bits will be a true PITA to locate anywhere outside UK, Japan, Oceania and some African countries…
    If I were in the market for a 70s/80s bimmer I’d much ,much rather take the 6series coupe featured a few days back. That was a lot more of a BMW when new, as well as today

    Like 1

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