20 classic BMWs in no-reserve auction

Munich legends

A 20-strong collection of BMW and East German EMW cars will go under the hammer in a no-reserve RM Sotheby’s auction at Motorworld in Munich, Germany, on 23 November.

They will be joined by four classic BMW ’bikes; together they represent more than seven decades of the marque’s history.

The Munich Masterpieces Collection has been stored in Finland for many years, but now the owner is offloading this stash of German machines.

Let’s take a closer look at all the classic cars crossing the block later this month, presented in chronological order.

1. 1933 BMW 3/20 AM 4 Saloon (est: £16,500-25,000/$21,500-32,000)

BMW’s first car, the Dixi, was a licence-built Austin Seven. 

When its tie-up with the British marque came to an end, BMW introduced the first car of its own design, the 3/20.

This example, fitted with a four-speed gearbox, was delivered to its first owner in Döbeln, Germany, on 11 November 1933.

1933 BMW 3/20 AM 4 Saloon (cont.)

Then, following a big gap in the car’s history, it was bought by a German architect in 1990.

This keeper restored the saloon, then sold it to the current owner in 1996, when it was imported to Finland to join this classic BMW collection.

2. 1937 BMW 326 Roadster by Drauz (est: £100-130,000/$130-170,000)

BMW’s Eisenach factory built about 16,000 326s, however just 11 are believed to have received this roadster bodywork by German coachbuilder Drauz.

In May 1937, this car was delivered to a BMW dealer in Berlin as a rolling chassis.

1937 BMW 326 Roadster by Drauz (cont.)

Between 1940 and 1945, it was used by the German armed forces in Norway, where it remained for the next two decades.

Its straight-six engine and rare bodywork were restored by a previous owner, who kept the car for more than 30 years.

It was restored again more recently, when it joined the Munich Masterpieces Collection.

3. 1939 BMW 327/28 Sport Cabriolet (est: £125-165,000/$160-215,000)

Just 482 327/28 Sport Cabriolets were built between 1937 and 1940.

With the six-cylinder engine from BMW’s 328 sports car, it was perfect for Germany’s emerging autobahnen.

1939 BMW 327/28 Sport Cabriolet (cont.)

This two-tone example was delivered to its first owner in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1939, but it wasn't registered until 1941, due to the outbreak of WW2.

Apparently, as fuel became more expensive and harder to find, this 327/28’s owner got inventive and fitted a wood burner to power the engine – but that system has since been removed.

4. 1940 BMW 335 Cabriolet by Autenrieth (est: £85-115,000/$105-150,000)

This four-door drop-top was one of 10 BMW 335 Cabriolets bodied by Autenrieth in Darmstadt, Germany.

It remained with its first owner for more than 20 years, followed by a four-decade stint with its second custodian.

1940 BMW 335 Cabriolet by Autenrieth (cont.)

It joined the Munich Masterpieces Collection in April 2023.

Two-tone green paintwork, body-coloured wheels and a light-green interior might sound like a recipe for disaster, but, in the metal, this patinated classic car looks super stylish.

5. 1952 BMW 501-6 (est: £16,500-25,000/$21,500-32,000)

BMW entered the 1950s with a brand-new, part-tubular chassis to underpin its first post-war model, the 501.

This car, chassis 40047, was one of the first built.

1952 BMW 501-6 (cont.)

Six people can fit in the roomy 501’s luxurious cabin, which features a smart speedometer and faux-ivory details.

Chassis 40047 was first sold via a dealer in Stockholm and it stayed in Sweden until 2016, when it moved to Finland and eventually joined the Munich Masterpieces Collection.

6. 1953 BMW 501-6 (est: £16,500-25,000/$21,500-32,000)

This black BMW 501 is another early example.

It’s fitted with the marque’s 64bhp M337/1 straight-six, a refreshed version of the pre-war 326’s motor.

Inside, there’s a column-mounted gearlever in the simple, airy cabin.

1953 BMW 501-6 (cont.)

Chassis 40982 was sold new in Helsinki, Finland, in 1953.

In 1992, it became the first car in the Munich Masterpieces Collection.

It was in need of a mechanical refresh, so the current owner had its 1971cc engine rebuilt.

7. 1953 EMW 340 (est: £16,500-25,000/$21,500-32,000)

The EMW 340 is based on the BMW 326, although its East German counterpart received some styling changes and a red-and-white badge.

This burgundy four-door is powered by a 1971cc six-cylinder engine of the same design as the BMW unit.

1953 EMW 340 (cont.)

It was imported to Finland soon after it was built.

Unfortunately, the EMW 340 developed an engine problem in the 1960s and, as a result, spent more than 30 years off the road.

In 1997, it was acquired by the Munich Masterpieces Collection and it was slowly brought back to life over the next 18 years.

8. 1955 EMW 327/2 Sport Coupé (est: £65-100,000/$85-130,000)

EMW didn’t just build BMW-based four-door saloons, either. 

This 327 Sport’s kidney-shaped grille makes it even trickier to differentiate the East German coupé from those built in Bavaria before WW2.

1955 EMW 327/2 Sport Coupé (cont.)

Finland was EMW’s biggest export market, and it’s where this 327 was first registered, in 1955.

It was taken off the road in the 1970s, but joined the Munich Masterpieces Collection at the turn of the millennium, ahead of a thorough restoration.

9. 1955 EMW 327/2 Sport Coupé (est: £65-100,000/$85-130,000)

If red-and-black paintwork isn’t to your taste, how about this predominantly blue example?

Built around the same time as the EMW 327 on the previous slide, this car was also imported to Finland.

1955 EMW 327/2 Sport Coupé (cont.)

It spent much of its early life near the city of Kuopio.

Under the bonnet, there’s a competition-ready BMW 328 engine, because previous owners used this car for rallies and ice-driving events.

10. 1955 BMW 502 Coupé by Baur (est: £110-150,000/$140-190,000)

The BMW 502 gave the 501 chassis a helpful boost with the introduction of a V8 engine.

This sophisticated coupé is one of 29 built by German coachbuilder Baur, who produced coupé and cabriolet variants of the 502 in the mid-1950s.

1955 BMW 502 Coupé by Baur (cont.)

This BMW 502 first belonged to Finnish racing driver Aleksi Patama, who would apparently drive the coupé back to Germany to get it serviced. 

He also had the car repainted from its original dark-green shade to the red it wears today.

11. 1956 EMW 327/2 Sport Cabriolet (est: £65-100,000/$85-130,000)

About 500 BMW and EMW 327 Sports were built from 1946 to 1955, including 152 drop-tops, like this.

It has spent its whole life in Finland, where it was stored in a barn for many years.

1956 EMW 327/2 Sport Cabriolet (cont.)

It was added to the Munich Masterpieces Collection in 2004, then restored to its former glory.

The rebuild took two years, but the EMW looks fabulous with its two-tone paintwork and burgundy interior.

12. 1962 BMW 700 Sport Coupé (est: £25,000-41,500/$32-55,000)

The Giovanni Michelotti-penned BMW 700 is often credited with saving the German marque.

It was the first BMW with a steel-monocoque construction and more than 188,000 were built.

This Sport Coupé model makes about 40bhp from its two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, plus it is believed to be one of just 8213 produced.

1962 BMW 700 Sport Coupé (cont.)

Originally finished in Fjord Grey, it left the factory in August 1962.

The BMW was neglected for a while, because it was found in a poor state in the 1980s.

Thankfully, somebody bought it and nursed it back to health. 

The owner of the Munich Masterpieces Collection acquired the restored BMW 700 Sport Coupé in 2006.

13. 1963 BMW 3200 CS (est: £33,000-49,500/$42,500-65,000)

The BMW 3200 CS marked the end of the marque’s post-war V8 era.

However, the Giorgetto Giugiaro-styled shape also incorporated some forward-looking features, such as the ‘Sharknose’ front and ‘Hofmeister kink’ on the C-pillar.

1963 BMW 3200 CS (cont.)

Sold alongside the inexpensive BMW 700, the upmarket 3200 CS found few buyers.

In fact, just 603 were built from 1962 to 1965, including this car.

It stayed in Germany until 2008, when it made the trip to Finland.

14. 1965 BMW 1800 Ti/SA (est: £65-100,000/$85-130,000)

The race-inspired BMW 1800 Ti/SA was developed to take the fight to Alfa Romeo and Lotus in saloon-car racing.

It packs an extra 20bhp compared to the 1800 Ti.

Just 200 were made and this car, chassis 995074, was one of four delivered to Sweden.

1965 BMW 1800 Ti/SA (cont.)

Its first owner was Karl Torsten Backström, who campaigned it in races on frozen lakes.

In period, it is thought that most Ti/SAs were used in motorsport, so engine swaps weren’t uncommon.

This car’s motor isn’t original, but it is the correct 1.8-litre unit, fed by twin Weber carburettors.

Inside, there are two-tone Restall bucket seats and a Walsall steering wheel.

15. 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL (est: £100-130,000/$130-170,000)

One of the most iconic homologation specials, BMW engineers put the E9 coupé on a strict diet to make it a competitive racing car.

It’s powered by a 3003cc straight-six and just 500 right-hand-drive cars were built.

1972 BMW 3.0 CSL (cont.)

This Ceylon Metallic example left the factory in 1972.

It comes with Scheel sports seats, a Petri three-spoke steering wheel and a large history file.

Chassis 2285250 was imported to Finland in June 1999, when it became part of this collection.

16. 1979 BMW M1 ‘Exclusiv by Walter Maurer’ (est: £370-455,000/$480-600,000)

BMW’s M1 supercar is a rare beast, and this one-off wears unique paintwork by Walter Maurer.

The sale includes a letter from the artist explaining how the project came to be.

1979 BMW M1 ‘Exclusiv by Walter Maurer’ (cont.)

Walter Maurer was involved in BMW’s Art Car projects and he worked alongside Alexander Calder to design the first, a multi-coloured 3.0 CSL that competed at Le Mans in 1975. 

Many racing cars became his canvas, including some M1 Procars, but this is believed to be the only road car decorated with one of his designs.

It has covered just 21,041 miles since new.

17. 1988 BMW M3 (est: £85-115,000/$105-150,000)

This Alpine White II-coloured E30-generation BMW M3 is a Japanese-specification model. 

That means it has pop-out rear windows and a standard H-pattern gearshift, rather than the dogleg pattern that European cars got.

1988 BMW M3 (cont.)

It also sits on a set of rare 16in, split-rim wheels.

The original keeper retained the car until 2015, when it was imported to Finland. 

This two-owner BMW M3 remains in apparently fantastic condition, having covered just 39,197 miles.

18. 1995 BMW 850Ci (est: £25,000-41,500/$32-55,000)

If you’re looking for a cross-continental cruiser, perhaps this M70 V12-engined BMW 850Ci will take your fancy?

It’s fitted with a four-speed automatic gearbox, perfect for lapping up miles of autobahnen.

1995 BMW 850Ci (cont.)

This BMW’s first owner, a Finnish native living in Saudi Arabia, brought the 850Ci to Finland when they returned to Europe.

Being a Middle Eastern-spec model, it’s got an upgraded air-conditioning system.

It joined the Munich Masterpieces Collection in 2007.

19. 2000 BMW Z8 (est: £145-185,000/$185-240,000)

The retro BMW Z8 was inspired by the classic 507 roadster. 

This Titansilber Metallic car is one of 5703 built. It was delivered new to the city of Mülheim in Germany, where its first owner lived.

2000 BMW Z8 (cont.)

They kept it for more than two decades, until it was bought for the Munich Masterpieces Collection in 2022.

It was serviced by a BMW dealer until 2017 and has covered just 30,413 miles from new.

The sale includes a body-coloured hardtop, too.

20. 2005 BMW M6 (est: £16,500-25,000/$21,500-32,000)

The most modern car in this RM Sotheby’s sale also has the joint-lowest pre-sale estimate.

Potentially, £16,500-25,000 (or $21,500-32,000, depending on which currency you’re working in) will get you a V10-engined, 500bhp coupé.

The under-the-radar Sepang Bronze Metallic finish gives it a Q-car appearance, too.

2005 BMW M6 (cont.)

It was acquired by the Munich Masterpieces Collection in 2006, when it was little more than one year old.

The M6 has been maintained by a BMW dealer since; its most recent service-book stamp came in October 2021, when the car had covered 82,083 miles.

Is this the auction’s biggest bargain? We will find out when it crosses the block, alongside the 19 other cars featured in this slideshow, at Motorworld in Munich, Germany, on 23 November 2024.

Click here for more details about all the cars and ’bikes in this sale.