26 classic BMWs for sale – in one auction

Private BMW collection up for grabs

RM Sotheby’s is offering an incredible selection of BMWs in its 26 November auction at Motorworld in Munich, all but one of which are offered with no reserve from ‘The Bavarian Legends Collection’, aka a private museum curated by a large BMW dealership in China.

These ultimate driving machines date from 1934 right through to the present day, with some being vanishingly rare, others showing precious few miles and a handful having significant provenance – and the most desirable offering a combination of all three!

Here’s our guide to what’s what, in chronological order.

Pre-sale estimates given in UK£ and US$

1. 1934 BMW 315/1 Roadster (est: £110-145,000/$130-170,000)

The oldest BMW offered at this RM Sotheby’s auction, this roadster represents an evolution of the 303 – BMW’s first mid-sized saloon and a car fitted with its first six-cylinder engine, upgraded in the 315 from 1.2 to 1.5 litres.

BMW produced almost 10,000 315s from 1934 to ’37, but only 230 examples of the 315/1 Roadster left the factory, making it the rarest of all.

Many competed in hillclimbs and on track, and while little is known about this car’s history, we can tell you its white and black paintwork contrasts nicely with its red-leather interior.

2. 1936 BMW 319/1 Roadster (est: £110-145,000/$130-170,000)

Evolving the recipe of the 315, the 319/1 was conceived partly for the 2.0-litre motorsport class and used a straight-six bored to 1.9 litres – enough for a heady 54bhp and 81mph.

This two-seat roadster was produced in 1936, originally finished in grey with a red-leather interior, now two-tone white and grey. Despite gaps in its ownership history, its first German owner is well documented, and we know the 319/1 spent from 1984 to 2012 in the US, before being displayed in a German museum from 2015.

Expensive when new at 5,800 Reichsmark, only 178 were sold, making chassis number 56264 an extremely rare pre-war performance BMW.

3. 1938 BMW 328 Roadster (est: £300-500,000/$350-600,000)

The 328 was widely campaigned by BMW’s works team during the 1930s, with the first car even winning the Eifelrennen Nürburgring event outright.

Light, durable and driver-friendly, the 328 subsequently became popular with private entrants through to the 1950s.

Only 464 were produced, and chassis number 85111 is a relatively early example (the first car wears chassis number 85001).

It was delivered to Berlin BMW dealer Brenner & Schoth in 1937. Little is known of its history, save that it appears to have been restored at some point, was registered in Germany in 2011 and became part of the vendor’s museum collection in 2016.

4. 1938 BMW 327/28 Sport Cabriolet (est: £130-155,000/$150-180,000)

This is one of only 569 examples of the 327/28 built by BMW between 1938 and 1940. Unlike most older BMWs in this auction, chassis number 74308 is being offered with a reserve and a full ownership history – and it’s the only BMW in the 26 November RM Sotheby’s sale not from ‘The Bavarian Legends Collection’.

It was delivered new to Copenhagen in 1939, with second owner and amateur racer Peter Morgens Skarring contesting the Tulip Rally and Viking Rally in the early 1950s – as period photos attest.

This car’s chassis was restored by 328 expert Yngve Falk after a workshop fire, and Falk later managed the bodywork and interior restoration in Sweden for a new owner who’s enjoyed continuous ownership since 1999.

5. 1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II (est: £1.35-1.7m/$1.6-2m)

Aimed at the US market, the two-seat BMW 507 featured aluminium bodywork styled by Albrecht von Goertz and a 3.2-litre V8 capable of 150bhp and 126mph flat out.

Three times pricier than a Porsche 356 at $10,500, only 252 were produced between 1956 and ’59. This is one of the Series II 507s introduced after the first run of 34, with extra passenger and luggage space, a revised dashboard and improved stowage for the fabric roof.

Originally Dolomite Grey, now finished in cream with red-leather interior, chassis number 70143 was delivered to Rome in 1958, and is believed to have been owned – and at some point restored – by a Swiss BMW dealer from 1973 to 2013.

6. 1959 BMW 502 3.2 Super (est: £25,500-42,500/$31-50,000)

Produced from 1954, the 502 shared its body and chassis with the 501 saloon, and initially added an all-new 2.6-litre V8 engine.

When BMW upgraded the V8 to 3.2 litres with Zenith two-barrel carbs, it also introduced the ‘3.2 Super’ suffix. Offering 138bhp and a 106mph top speed, performance was pretty super for the era, too.

This example left the Munich factory in 1959 and was delivered to BMW dealer Paolini of Rome, with four known owners from new, including a lady who hung onto it from 1960 to 2013.

Finished in blue paintwork with a grey velour interior, it’s described as ‘almost as it would have been new.’

7. 1959 BMW Isetta 250 (est: £25,500-42,500/$30-50,000)

BMW’s fuel-sipping microcar wasn’t actually German at all. The Isetta was initially developed and produced by Iso Autoveicoli SpA from 1953, but disappointing sales led the Italian company to sell the licence to BMW in 1954.

BMW re-worked the engineering, including fitting a 247cc single-cylinder engine from the R25/3 motorbike, but wisely kept the Finding Nemo design.

Chassis number 452711 is finished in two-tone grey and blue with a blue plaid-cloth interior, shows 80,368km on the only dashboard dial and comes complete with its ‘Kraftfahrzeugbrief’ – the original registration certificate.

Perhaps the perfect solution to today’s sky-high fuel prices.

8. 1959 BMW 502 3.2 Super (est: £17-25,500/$20-30,000)

The second of two 3.2 Supers in this RM Sotheby’s sale, this one left the Munich factory in 1959 and is finished in black paintwork with grey-velour upholstery – its interior complemented by the woodgrain dashboard and door cappings that distinguish the range-topping 502.

With 138bhp from its 3.2-litre V8, there’s more than enough poke to keep up with modern traffic, plus there’s a jack, spare lights, a spare wheel, a warning triangle and a wheel brace for those hard-shoulder emergencies, too.

Described as ‘a good starting point for a restoration of one of the most sought-after variants’, this example of BMW’s ‘Baroque Angel’ could be a bit of a steal.

9. 1960 BMW 700 Coupé (est: £21,500-30,000/$25-35,000)

Arguably one of the most significant cars in BMW’s history, the 700 launched in the dying days of the 1950s as both a coupé and a saloon, helping prevent a takeover by Mercedes-Benz during a turbulent period.

It used the Bavarians’ first steel monocoque chassis, was styled by Michelotti and mounted a flat-twin 697cc engine at the rear of car – look, no kidney grilles!

Chassis number 166540 is one of 35,000 examples built in 1960 and has spent most of its life in the Essen area of Germany, even having the same owner from 1975 to 2012.

10. 1972 BMW 2002 Cabriolet (est: £42,500-60,000/$50-70,000)

BMW might have built 420,000 units of the 2002, but only 200 examples of the 2002 Cabriolet were produced for eight months in 1971, with production outsourced to coachbuilder Baur.

This 1971 example is finished in yellow with a black interior, wears chassis number 2790097 and is one of the few Cabriolets to be fitted with the 2.0-litre M10 engine.

Delivered to BMW Meierrose, Osnabrück and first registered in 1972, it’s been on display in the Chinese private collection since 2015.

11. 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi (est: £50-70,000/$60-80,000)

Next best thing to the homologation special 3.0 CSL, this 3.0 CSi features gorgeously sharky bodywork finished in Polaris Silver, a four-seat interior trimmed in Marineblau leather and a fuel-injected 3.0-litre straight-six endowed with a healthy 200bhp. It also gets the desirable four-speed manual gearbox.

Chassis number 2262526 was delivered new to BMW Italia of Verona in 1972, and while it seems to have little documented history from its time in Italy, we do know it was sold to a Polish buyer in 2011 and currently shows 24,846km.

12. 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’ (est: £155-190,000/$180-220,000)

If the previous CSi was the next best thing, here’s the real deal – the CSL homologation special that won the European Touring Car Championship and represents the foundations of BMW’s M Division.

Supplied new to BMW dealer MOTAG in Switzerland, this 1975 example is chassis number 4355057 – the very last of the 57 second-series models – and finished in Chamonix White with period-correct M Division tricolour striping.

It also wears the aerodynamic body addenda that was famously supplied in the boot – earning the CSL its ‘Batmobile’ nickname.

13. 1976 BMW 528 (est: £21,500-25,000/$25-30,000)

The E12 is both the first of BMW’s 5 Series models and replacement for the previous Neue Klasse saloons, its Paul Bracq-penned lines setting the template for the crisp, understated four-door executive saloons that endured through to Chris Bangle’s rather more extrovert E60 of 2004.

Fitted with a 2.8-litre version of the M30 straight-six, the top-of-the-range 528 accounted for only one in 10 5 Series sales.

Going under the hammer with RM Sotheby’s on 26 November is chassis number 4553370, delivered new to Switzerland in 1976, painted Fjord Metallic with a matching blue interior, and fitted with a three-speed automatic gearbox.

14. 1980 BMW M1 (est: £490-600,000/$600-750,000)

Developed in conjunction with Lamborghini and designed by Giugiaro, the mid-engined M1 was officially the first BMW M car (though we can argue about CSLs, 2002 turbos etc).

Only 399 road-going examples were produced but this one’s particularly significant, the first owner being Jochen Neerpasch, head of BMW Motorsport and father of the M1, who bought it after leaving BMW in 1980.

It’s one of just four M1s finished in grey paintwork and was subsequently sold to BMW M1-Club founder Reinhard Kleißler in 1990.

Kleißler had it repainted the original colour during his tenure, and this M1 won best-preserved post-war car at the 2013 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. You couldn’t wish for better provenance.

15. 1981 BMW 323i (est: £21,500-25,500/$25-30,000)

This 323i represents the pinnacle of the E12 3 Series range – the first generation of the model that still defines BMW’s Ultimate Driving Machine ethos.

Key ingredients include a 2.3-litre fuel-injected straight-six, rear-wheel drive and a five-speed manual gearbox all wrapped in a stylish two-door Paul Bracq body.

This 1981 example was delivered new to BMW’s Panzer dealership in Nürnberg finished in Resedagrün Metallic paint, and benefits from Recaro seats in black and grey trim. It’s covered just 67,425km, too.
 

16. 1983 BMW 6 Series (est: £25,500-42,500/$30-50,000)

This 1983 6 Series isn’t an original BMW Art Car – the series of wild designs painted on BMW racing cars by the likes of Andy Warhol from the mid 1970s – but its technical-cutaway-style livery riffs on those of Walter Maurer, a notable contributor to the series.

At some point in its life this classic BMW has been converted to track specification with a single race seat, rollcage, side-exit exhaust and – sportiest of all – gold split-rim centre-lock alloys.

The details are all a bit sketchy, but its patina suggests a tale to tell and much track action.

17. 1985 BMW 745i (est: £25,500-34,000/$30-40,000)

While all modern BMWs are turbocharged, this 1985 first-generation 7 Series gives an early taste of the technology with its 3.4-litre straight-six that was boosted to 248bhp and mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox. Other than the South Africa-only 745i, it was the most powerful E23 7 Series you could buy.

Finished in Arktisblau Metallic over a Buffalo Anthrazit leather interior, this car left the Dingolfing factory with the full optional Executive Package. BMW itself is listed as the first owner, and it could’ve been a pool car for lucky – and perhaps slightly late – execs.

This example remained in Germany until it joined a museum collection in 2014. It’s covered only 17,000km from new.

18. 1987 BMW M6 (est: £34-50,000/$40-60,000)

Whether an M6 is actually more desirable than an M635CSi is a point of contention.

Ostensibly the top-of-the-range E24 6 Series offered only in North America and Japan, it features the S38 straight-six producing 256bhp, some 26bhp down on the M88 engine slotted in the M635CSi with which we’re more familiar. A catalytic convertor, lower compression ratio and more relaxed camshaft profile are to blame, though the rocker cover is still stamped BMW M Power and you still get six individual throttle butterflies.

Finished in Alpine White over a Siam Grey Buffalo interior, this car’s odometer reads just 6356km. Desirable features include heated memory seats, a six-speed manual gearbox and LM forged alloys.

19. 1989 BMW Z1 (est: £25,500-42,500/$30-50,000)

BMW produced 8000 examples of its futuristic Z1 between 1989 and 1991 – the Z literally standing for ‘Zukunft’, or future – but this example is pure time-capsule material, with only 350km showing on its odometer since leaving the factory back in 1989.

Toprot red complements the striking Harm Lagaay-designed barchetta body with its vertical sliding doors, plus there’s a dark grey and camouflage interior for extra avant-garde points.

Like all Z1s, it’s fitted with the 2.5-litre straight-six and five-speed manual gearbox lifted from the E30 325i.

20. 1989 BMW M3 (est: £38,500-55,000/$45-65,000)

Any example of BMW’s E30 M3 motorsport special is hugely desirable these days, but this one appears to be in time-warp condition with just 7133km showing, and apparently pristine Alpine White paintwork and Anthracite cloth trim.

Built in December 1988 and delivered new to Japan the following year, it’s equipped with the S14 2302cc four-cylinder engine fitted to most examples (only the Sport Evo got the 2.5) but note the conventional ‘H’ pattern five-speed gearbox specific to Japanese and US models – not the dog-leg layout used in all other markets, with first down and to the left.

21. 1989 BMW Z1 (est: £25,500-42,500/$30-50,000)

The second of two Z1s offered at the RM Sotheby’s Munich sale on 26 November, this one’s showing just 61km from new and is finished in the classy combination of Urgrün green over a light-tan interior.

Only 8000 of these cars were produced, all featuring a 2.5-litre straight-six and five-speed manual from the E30 325i, plus distinctive doors that slide down like a sash window and thermoplastic panels, all of which – said BMW – could be completely swapped in just 40 minutes. Anyone got a stopwatch?

22. 1990 BMW 850CSi (est: £95-120,000/$110-140,000)

The 850CSi was launched in 1992 as the flagship of BMW’s 8 Series range with a 375bhp V12, but this one was registered by BMW in January 1990 – no, it’s not an admin error, this one is in fact an extremely rare pre-production prototype.

Adding to its special provenance, this 850CSi was later sold to Johnny Cecotto, the Venezuelan racing driver most commonly associated with racing and winning in E30 M3 Touring Cars.

It’s still finished in its factory-correct Drake Brown metallic over a Sandbeige and Black leather interior, shows just 8643km and even gets the desirable six-speed manual gearbox.
 

23. 1993 BMW 3 Series Touring Car (est: £17-34,000/$20-40,000)

If Group A Touring Car racing was a simple matter of BMW entering the E30 M3 for competition, the Super Touring rules that followed made life more complicated for its E36 successor – partly because of an eventual requirement to use four-door bodies (though the E36 M3 was also offered as a saloon), but more problematically a 2000cc capacity cap.

The solution was a 318i saloon fitted with a 2.0-litre twist on the E30 M3’s four-cylinder engine (normally 2.3 or 2.5 litres).

This one was delivered to Team Isert in 1993, though oddly it didn’t compete and it’s thought to have been shipped to BMW Japan in 1994. More recently it’s been part of the current owner’s museum collection, with no record of any competition pedigree.

24. 1997 BMW M3 (est: £17-34,000/$20-40,000)

Initially the difficult second album of BMW M3s, good examples of the E36 M3 have become seriously sought-after in recent years. The problem is there aren’t many good ones, meaning this E36 should attract significant interest.

Delivered new to Japan in 1997, it’s the later facelift colloquially known as the ‘Evo’, with an upgrade to a 3.2-litre straight-six engine and six-speed manual transmission.

The Dakar Yellow bodywork and black leather interior appear immaculate – and so they should be, given the odometer reads just 2752km following a lengthy stint in the current owner’s museum.

25. 1999 BMW Z8 (est: £110-170,000/$130-200,000)

James Bond support act and BMW 507 homage (perhaps ironic given the Z stands for ‘Zukunft’ or future), the Henrik Fisker-styled Z8 features a 5.0-litre V8 and manual gearbox shared with the E39 M5, plus a retro two-seat interior and convertible roof.

This very early car was completed on 17 June 1999 and delivered to Germany – possibly as a motor show exhibit or press car, thinks RM Sotheby’s, though with just 111km showing the former is more plausible.

Finished in Titanium Silver over a black-leather interior, it comes with its silver factory hardtop.
 

26. 2003 BMW M3 CSL (est: £25,500-42,500/$30-50,000)

During the financial crisis you could bag an E46 M3 CSL for less than £25k – today, the best are nudging past £100k. And this early Japanese example from 2003 really does look like one of the best of the 1383 remaining, with just 4689km showing.

Like all CSLs, it gets the most powerful evolution of the 3.2-litre straight-six, a six-speed automated manual gearbox and the benefit of a 110kg weight saving.

It’s finished in Silver Grey metallic (Sapphire Black was the only alternative) with a high standard specification that includes the optional stereo and air-con. Shame it’s missing its registration papers.

To find out more about this and all the other lots in the RM Sotheby’s sale on 26 November 2022, click here.