BMW E30 325 | A Must-Have Modern Classic | Is Now The Time To Buy This 80s/90s Motoring Icon?

The BMW E30 325 is undoubtedly an 1980s/1990s motoring icon with its great looks and punchy six-cylinder engine. For me and many others it's a genuine modern classic that manages to combine a wonderful blend of analogue feel and simplicity with just enough modern touches to make this a fun daily driver or a special weekend toy.
With E30 M3 values now stratospheric and out of reach for many, values of the more humble six and four cylinder variants are rising quickly, and my advice is to get one soon before they to become unobtainable.
I regretfully sold my E30 Touring a few years ago, so join me as I get reacquainted with one of the all-time German greats and take this fine example of a 325 cabriolet out for drive on some great country roads.
It doesn't take long to discover why this is currently one of the hottest choices on the classic car market.
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[@lewis72]

There is a sweet spot in modern classics where cars of the '90s and early 2000s are modern enough to be safe, reliable and useable but old enough to be able to fix yourself.

[@fuelupclassic]

Definitely some truth in that! Modern enough to use and enjoy on a daily basis if needed but old enough that tech hadn't completely taken over.

[@AshKay-pl7wn]

The sweet spot I call it

[@touchedouche8806]

I drive my ES on the weekends. Its nothing special, but it's fantastic

[@idswh1]

Just bought a 318 convertible and cannot wait for it to get delivered!

[@fuelupclassic]

Good luck! They are great cars.

[@michaelcrawley9580]

Fkn love mine

[@JuanSanchez-kv9yl]

Totally agree with what you have said. I've held onto my BMW 325i Cabrio LH drive since inheriting it from my dad back in 2001 and remember picking it up from the dealership brand new with my parents and sister in 1988 and making heads turn as we drove down the road. The car certainly brings back fantastic memories and I also remember saying to my dad as a boy that I would try and keep it in the family for as long as I lived. I am currently thinking about freshening it up and although I was quite convinced about its price value just going up and up for years to come you have inspired me to go ahead and throw money at it after your great video!

[@fuelupclassic]

That is great to hear! I hope you continue to enjoy it for many more years to come.

[@goodfest007]

My father bought a 318i when I was 18, BMW’s were rare in those days he was the only person to have one at the large factory he worked in, where Ford and British Leyland were the normal working man’s car. Never a plush car but the engine’s and build quality were unmatched. Still love then today and a 325i two door would be the icing on the cake….😊

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you for sharing! I can imagine it was quite a sight to see compared to the abundance of Fords and BL cars of the era.

[@tyrone4642]

Just took a two hour drive yesterday looking at an 87 325i convertible going back to get it next weekend alpine white with gold bbs rims and a tan interior; it looks amazing engine has no issues just interior work needing done (new panels, carpet, and possibly new seats needed but i feel lucky to get my hands on it for the price definitely worth a fix up !

[@fuelupclassic]

Good luck with the project. They are great cars!

[@d.michaelmcbridedc1082]

I bought the interior sport seat kit on eBay it took about 3 days to recover. The back seat easy but the front seats with gas filled hydraulics a bit of complexity

[@roelandzw1846]

I owned a 316 '87. Chrome bumper, bottlecap alloys, Black rear spoiler. Foglights in the front. Rev counter in stead of a clock. Lachsilber. Perfect specs. Loved it to pieces. Traded it for an E36. But my thought 's go back to the E30. Good old memoires!

[@lowrideza]

A beautiful classic... Truth be told... Hello from South Africa...

[@fuelupclassic]

Absolutely!

[@RuperScooper]

Great review well done 👍

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you!

[@gaussian18]

I owned an '88 325is 5spd from 2014-2017. Marvelousy turbine-smooth engine, and lively steering, but it had rusted out battery box in the back, and rust bubbles all around the broken sunroof. Needed a diff rebuild. Couldn't bring myself to put more money into it with those kind of issues, but I do miss the driving experience.

[@paulfowler1391]

I’m in Canada. Have an 325is bought for 5 k CDN 10 years ago and classic car insurance company says I should be insured for 30k now . Nuts. But I love it and may never sell it

[@Motoicon]

I've owned an E21, 2- E30's, an E 28, E39 M5 and a E36 M3. My favorite is the E28. Good analysis on the E30. What a great car. So much fun and classic look.

[@fuelupclassic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Tom-ok3le]

Had a prefacelift E30 325i ,1987 on E plate for 26 years ! loved it ! it was the earlier high compression 9.7 to 1 head version ,with chrome. Bumpers :-) , they mare 171 BHP ,the later ones in 88 having 168 BHP as those had a lesser 8.8 to 1 compression ratio ,plastic bumpers and slightly different rear lights , all were lovely cars ! fair miss mine, great video , thanks for sharing. :-)

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you for watching :)

[@jesusenriquez7581]

Hello my friend Im from Aguascalientes México Im totaly agree with you, four years ago I bought an BMW 325is coupe Im restoring it and its an a beutiful experience and enjoyable working it. Tanks you for share this video. Regards.

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you for watching, and wishing you all the best with your project 325is. Matt

[@jesusenriquez7581]

Thenks You very much, only a coment it's an e30 1987.

[@cmhaktie4692]

Great video! I own a cabrio chrome bumper 6 cilinder in diamantblack/ black leather since 2012. Everything you say in this video is correct. Greetings from Holland.

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you.

[@knobrotknobrot]

I had a 325i sport years ago. Bought it off a vicar for £1200. Loved it.

[@fuelupclassic]

Funnily enough my E30 touring previously belonged to a vicar too!

[@simonwallis9520]

Beautiful car... Imagine driving that around brand new in 1990 😊. Great review as well, very professional 👍

[@fuelupclassic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@graemegaw5536]

Great video, the E30 325 was a fantastic car. Just enough grunt to be lively and fun but not so much that it was a handful. Timeless design, analogue driving, what more do you need

[@fuelupclassic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@zairomolino4074]

I have one, a manual 325i convertible that my father bought new in 87

[@christophereitrem6864]

Now driving a Volvo V90 and miss the car I really loved. My 318 iS I had in the 90:s. Need to have a E30 again

[@laidback93]

I bought my 90 325is back in 2016 for $5K here in the states and I thought I overpaid at that time as it needed quite of bit of sorting out. However, I'm so glad I did buy it when I did as it would most likely fetch around $18-$20K in today's current market

[@fuelupclassic]

sounds like a great buy.

[@d.michaelmcbridedc1082]

My 89 E30 is my daily. I’ve been going through it, new stock suspension, new interior and top. Looking forward to return to Hawaii as it’s getting a fresh paint job Glacier Blue Metallic. I’m. Not selling going to enjoy it! Get a manual transmission the automatic is a dog. The M3 is a 4 cylinder and going for 60-100k Euros

[@fuelupclassic]

Enjoy :)

[@HI30s]

I have to say another contender for the old and modern cars would be the 72 Toyota Corolla next to the e30

[@guy4469]

I sold my E30 318iS too my mate at work 3 years ago £3000 he,s just been offerd £8000 he wont sell it .

[@markcarter9476]

It is fantastic that BMW still support their historic cars and you are able to buy parts. Audi do the same thing through Audi Historic, the only problem is they won't ship to the Great Britain (if you live in NI they will ship to you) since Brexit. Something to do with their computer system and the computation of vat apparently. Get your act together Audi you've had long enough to sort it out.

[@benfidar]

Touring prices in the last month in the USA: 4cyl $18k, $25.5, $26 for design edition '93-'94. Good Tourings are almost gone. I bought one last year for Eur 7900 with only 41k miles. I could sell that car now (with a 24v swap) for around $30k. "Buy one now," sadly, was 18 months ago.

[@fuelupclassic]

They certainly are showing no signs of slowing in terms of pricing! It's interesting to see that a converted car has such a high residual value in the USA. Here in the UK engined swapped or modified examples are significantly cheaper than a factory standard example. Thankfully, prices here in Europe are still just about obtainable.

[@jgcruisers]

Looking to get 1 just like the one in the video. But 200+miles for 5k it is an 87. Blue, black top, will look at it next week

[@fuelupclassic]

Good luck!

[@kochworkschock]

Very nice and timeless car with little problems...and easy to tune. Just plant a m52b28 with an kompressor under its bonnet! Is is fairly easy and you get about 270hp...it is reliable too. In germany you get these kompressor sets for about 5000€ incl. Installation. It kills almost every Porsche. Why the 2,8l engine? Because it is the better then the 3.0l one...trust me.

[@badwolf4058]

I have one - identical exterior, interior, engine and auto box. J plate with just over 60k on the clock!

[@fuelupclassic]

Beautiful! Enjoy :)

[@kimberlysilenge734]

in Africa South Africa to be exact ,the e30 m3 the pillerless e30 convertable and the estate e30 we never got them

[@fuelupclassic]

I didn't know that! I'm surprised South Africa never got the E30 M3 or the convertible. The Estate was always a relatively rare sight even here in Europe.

[@kimberlysilenge734]

@@fuelupclassic our version of m3 was a light weight bmw 2 door 325is with mtech 2 body kit ,aluminium bonnet,fenders to cut weight came in evolution 1 and 2..its the most expensive e30 in sa.was built to fill in the e30 m3 gap..we also got a e30 alpina with mtech 1 body kit having a 333i engine...we got the e30 convertable in the form of a baur....we import the estate and pillerless convertable

[@alexmercer8042]

Great looking cabrio, bummer its an auto. On a more serious note, I guess I will never understand what's the fuss about the E30. Yeah, it was a great proposition when it was cheap but not more than that especially at the ridiculous price point at the moment. I say that as a current E32/E34 owner, its not like i'm driving E60 and I don't get the old cars.

[@fuelupclassic]

Time is certainly a funny thing when it comes to cars. It doesn't seem that long ago a good E30 was seen as a 'run of the mill' car that could be picked up very cheap. Fashion trends, nostalgia, desirability, E30 M3 prices skyrocketing, and the fact there's just less of them on the road these days have all helped push prices up. I happen to think an E32 is still a massively underrated and undervalued car... but that may well change in the future.

[@alexmercer8042]

@@fuelupclassic I get that it has an appeal especially for those who now have the money and time to play with it even if based solely on nostalgia. But the prices... goddamn. For a half decent E30 M3 money you get a 360 Modena gated manual or 911 turbo manual, and its not even funny. At the end of the day, E30 M3 shares almost nothing with the famed DTM cars except some flares

[@kinkhao]

Stone cold classic. I've been flirting with the idea of a Volvo 480 Turbo, but they sound too flakey. Always had a soft spot for this era of 3 Series and as my first classic feels like a safer bet.

[@fuelupclassic]

Very different beast to the 480 Turbo, although the Volvo is much rarer and quirky. I'd suggest you drive an e30 and see what you think. They're great cars and a brilliant starter classic.

[@planlondon6205]

I had a 325i convertible motorsport in 2007. Someone crashed into it. Wrote it off and I didn't keep it. What a mistake 😢

[@happychappers8311]

Thats crazy. £15K is E36 M3 convertible money.

[@fuelupclassic]

Oh yes! E36 prices are starting to appreciate too.

[@bertiewooster3326]

The E30 325I cabrio with M3 fit will be £40k within 5 years .I know.

[@fuelupclassic]

Anything is possible!

[@muzixman2011]

if the E28 is the same price as the E30, which will you buy?

[@fuelupclassic]

That's a difficult one! if you're comparing an E30 saloon with the E28, then I would go for the latter.

[@pw8764]

Makes you wish you'd bought vgc manual car just over 5 years ago for around £7k GBP - - oh, hang on, I did 🙂

[@fuelupclassic]

You did well there :)

[@stevenhifi2188]

Every day price is going up 🇩🇪

[@fuelupclassic]

Very true! Get one now before they become seriously expensive.

[@xreddishx7049]

Is a 325is with 190k miles on it worth $14k?

[@fuelupclassic]

most probably in the current climate.

[@stevesaunders7810]

Except the odometers usually give out at extended miles with the gears turning to custard,@@fuelupclassic. Do try to check history when buying, but probably worth it even if the real miles are 200k+

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

Can you think of any modern German or Japanese car that is a better car than it’s version from the late 80s -90s ?

[@fuelupclassic]

oh that is a great question! I will always be naturally biased towards the older stuff but I did have a later Mercedes S class for a while and that was seriously impressive but perhaps still not built as well as the W126/W140 models of the 80s/90s.

[@guy4469]

Yes i have one toyota celica 2ltr st 1978 .worth £18000 now.

[@guy4469]

Toyota celica 2000 st 1978 baby mustang £18000

[@brianaust8897]

Define “Better” 🤔

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

@@brianaust8897 less tech easier to work on at home . I feel it’s the perfect balance

[@damirbajic4579]

Time to buy was 15 years ago. Now the prices are stupid and only few 6 cylinders are for sale

[@fuelupclassic]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing :)

[@damirbajic4579]

@fuelupclassic7003 OH, it get worse. In 2008 I bought two (4 door in sapphire black and coupe in arctic silver), from a friend who went through a divorce. I payed 2000 euros for both and they were in immaculate original condition. Both 325i. At the time I bought brand new e92 so I didn't have the space to keep them so I sold them for.... You guessed it; 2000 euros couple months later. Now, I cry myself to sleep every night. Side note; I payed my e92 65 000 euros and I sold it 3 years later for 35000 so I lost twice. That is a definition of an idiot.

[@lewis72]

IMO, the Saab 900 was a better car than the E30. I've owned 3 Saab 900 Turbos; they're epic.

[@fuelupclassic]

I have many happy childhood memories of my mum's Saab 900. She still talks about that car, despite having a number of other cars since. We will get one on the channel in the near future.

[@lewis72]

@@fuelupclassic I currently own two BMWs but not really a die-hard BMW fan. I think at the time, the Saab was a better engineered car.

[@garyhazelton8237]

Think the E46 is way better looking and will take its place as the go too BMW classic

[@fuelupclassic]

Definitely a modern classic for sure.