Potential classic status for 316i?
Printed From: Bavarian-Board.co.uk - BMW Owners Discussion Forum
Category: Regional & Specific Forums
Forum Name: General E30
Forum Discription: E30 Events, etc.
URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=9388
Printed Date: 17-June-2024 at 12:54
Topic: Potential classic status for 316i?
Posted By: Kevin_E30_318iS
Subject: Potential classic status for 316i?
Date Posted: 27-July-2004 at 09:36
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Just wondering about the potential classic status of the E30? Do you think it will be limited to special or rare models such as the M3 and 325iS, or will it be afforded to all models, even the 316i and 318i? ------------- Kevin_1990_318iS |
Replies:
Posted By: Peter Fenwick
Date Posted: 27-July-2004 at 10:04
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What's lassic status? Not sure to be honest. ------------- Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel. |
Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 27-July-2004 at 10:33
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lassic is now classic! ------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual |
Posted By: Kevin_E30_318iS
Date Posted: 04-August-2004 at 13:25
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Any opinions? ------------- Kevin_1990_318iS |
Posted By: Rhys
Date Posted: 04-August-2004 at 14:42
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I should have though it would obtain classic status, as it is an icon of the 80's along with the Porsche 911.
They still look visually pleasing, and have a better interior than cars off the same age. ------------- V reg Rustbucket Merc C220 Cdi estate J Reg Saab 900i 16v '63 Ford Anglia 105e deluxe R reg Honda PC50 moped.. No BMW as yet... |
Posted By: 325i Ron
Date Posted: 06-August-2004 at 20:54
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Kevin
Check out BMW CC Mag Issue 55 re the E30 being a "Classic" I am continuing to strive for this. About a month ago I was asked to help write a buying guide for Pratical Classics Mag, another step forward I think! Its not easy we cant just make it happen over night. We have to be positive and get others to believe as we do that the E30 is a Classic. Ron Parish Chairman "Classic E30 Register" |
Posted By: Kevin_E30_318iS
Date Posted: 06-August-2004 at 22:13
Thanks for the feedback Ron. I would hope over time the E30 in all it's guises would be seen as a classic. At the moment I think its in the 'just another old car' category, so will probably take another 5-10 years before it will get recognised as a classic BMW. It will be getting more scarce and those of us who hold onto ours and keep them in good condition should be smiling then ------------- Kevin_1990_318iS |
Posted By: Eamo
Date Posted: 16-August-2004 at 09:35
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Kev
I reckon some models of the e30 are already dubbed classics i.e. m3, 325 sport, 318is and are the most sought after and think that as you pointed out it may take another 5-10 years before the other models acheive this status. ------------- |
Posted By: Rhys
Date Posted: 16-August-2004 at 17:44
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My old B reg 316 2 door is certainly rare, thats all thats left, 2 doors... [sniff]
(poor old gall half drowned in the Selby flood, rusted away, dropped to bits and eventually was laid to rest in the great car park in the sky)  ------------- V reg Rustbucket Merc C220 Cdi estate J Reg Saab 900i 16v '63 Ford Anglia 105e deluxe R reg Honda PC50 moped.. No BMW as yet... |
Posted By: MattB106
Date Posted: 17-August-2004 at 07:59
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It WILL happen one day. Same as i will own an E30 one day! Admired them as a child in the 80's and wanted a 316 as my first car up to the age of 17 (but never did get one sadly). Shame i've started my BMW ownership with an E36. ------------- MattB E36 328i Sport in silver 
www.fotki.com/mattb106 |
Posted By: Eamo
Date Posted: 17-August-2004 at 09:26
.... but with a 328! not a bad start if I say so myself!!  ------------- |
MattB106 wrote:Posted By: moonraker
Date Posted: 24-August-2004 at 11:53
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Guys, let us define what a good classic is first. Well, my subjective measure/criteria for a classic is a good quality car (variable due to age/time of design), reliable, quite rare, holding its price well, or better still if you already own it, slightly appreciating, and though not cheap, does not burn a hole in your pocket beautiful, graceful even, of timeless design (good design is achieved by removing excess gimmicks in the shape for simplicity, not by adding more), great to drive and with a soul, the x-factor, the je-ne-sais-quoi. Myth: it does not have to be very prestigious or very expensive a la MacLaren (that is just Marketing: helping people to part with their money). A lump of rust is also not a classic just because it is old! So you will see that a 1940's MG, a Ferrari 328 or an E30 318is fits the bill admirably! I would say a normal E30, or worse an E36, is not a classic (too many E30, E36 a bit fat except M3). OK, the E30 maybe just, its shape is so clean. I have also fantasised on the E30 when I was at school. It was just perfect. I could not believe my luck when I saw a 318is for £1200 (85,000 miles only!) last year (the girl probably did not know about the 'is' status, though she told me she was surprised how fast the car was! Really!!? I feel guilty but I feigned complete ignorance ...). I spent £200 on an exhaust and some trims with 3 hrs of Autoglym polish and the beauty has been gleaming ever since. The driving pleasure has made me discover, in my 30's, what driving is really about. Even my wife now fights with me to drive the car! Why some people spend 20 grand on a Mondeo is a mystery to me. Unbelievable. And I paid much less than 2 grand! Recaro seats, silky engine, handling, that tactile leather steering wheel, wow! ... Go buy one now and live your dream! He who dares wins! You know it makes sense! ------------- E30 318is - I have seen the light! |
Posted By: Timray
Date Posted: 29-August-2004 at 16:58
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Here's another definition. A classic is a car that people with
time and disposable income (those aged 35+) wanted when they were young. We already know when the E30 will be a classic:
When the generation of Matt and moonraker is in their 40s, running the country, the E30 will be a classic -- like the 3.0Si/ CSi/CSL now. |
Posted By: Rhys
Date Posted: 29-August-2004 at 17:48
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I used to have a poster of one on my bedroom wall, the slogal read why have 'X' thousand british gas shares when you can have one of these.
Well I don't have 'X' thousand british gas shares, but I do have an E30.. ------------- V reg Rustbucket Merc C220 Cdi estate J Reg Saab 900i 16v '63 Ford Anglia 105e deluxe R reg Honda PC50 moped.. No BMW as yet... |
Posted By: stephenperry
Date Posted: 30-August-2004 at 19:07
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a classic car is one which you wanted, hopefully own, and if you do, still enjoy even after many years, resale value should be irrelevant - after all, if you like it so much, why are you looking to sell it? my old man bought his 1983 sierra xr4i in 1989 after a long search for the right one, and hes still got it, but more importantly, he still enjoys owning and driving it - when it finally gives up the ghost its replacement will probably have an M badge and a blue & white propeller ------------- 2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
Posted By: stephenperry
Date Posted: 30-August-2004 at 19:11
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why indeed... you cant drive shares.... remember, stocks can go down as well as up (unlike the grin on your face when you drive a sporty E30!) ------------- 2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
Posted By: Nigel
Date Posted: 30-August-2004 at 19:19
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I would suggest "classic" status will be gained when these cars start appearing at "classic car shows", rather than BMW events. For example I was at a smallish one on Sunday, actually for the IAM, and the only BMW present was mine, apart from one american jobby, everything else seemed british, Land rover, through jaguar, austin, morris, jowett, wolsely, rover, etc etc Mine wasnt actually entered in the show, but was with The IAM stand, although I may enter it next year for a laugh. I never realised that BMW were responsible for pulling the plug on the V8 MG, as they were launching the Z3. I know now though lol, boy do I know now
------------- Best Wishes Nigel |
Posted By: stephenperry
Date Posted: 30-August-2004 at 19:30
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thatd been done, and as usual failed, years ago with the mgrv8 rovers are, nearly always have been and always will be rubbish, bmw was right to get rid of it, latest rumours are that its going to be bought by an indian company mga's, b's and c's were unreliable dogs, and we won't even go near the metros, montegos and maestros... ill say it before and ill say it again, "motobuild racing" were doing bodykits and spoilers for rovers years before the pheonix project got going with their max-power lookylikeys, back then owners were laughed at... nowadays, they've got a not-so=proud manufacturers badge attached to monstrosities.... and educated people still point and laugh.... ------------- 2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
Posted By: stephenperry
Date Posted: 30-August-2004 at 19:32
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oh yes and the rover v8 was a unwanted cast-off from gm - say no more.... ------------- 2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
Posted By: 325i Ron
Date Posted: 09-September-2004 at 16:50
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I have been doing some research today trying to define a "Classic Car". A veteran car was made before Jan 1919 and a vintage car before 1930 and post vintage thouughbread 1931-1940. I have been unable to find any date for a classic car. The nearest I can find is a car 25 years old!. If you check out the price guides in the classic car mags you find a 1995-96 MF F listed, so does this make a "classic"? These price lists seem to be the only way to see if a car is a classic. You can also find listed a 1973-82 Austin Allegro!!!!! The only E30 BMWs listed are the M3 and 320/323 Baur. If the M3 is a classic then I think the E30 in general is a "CLASSIC". Remember it did save BMW. Nigel said the BMW would be classic when it appeared at classic car shows we in the South West, first as the old Drivers Club and now as The Car Club have been doing this for about 5 years. One year at the Bristol Classic Car Show a guy asked me why I had my 1989 316i in a classic car show, he was in Bedford Dormoble, say no more. May be we should lobby our Classic Car mags send to the letters page "the E30 is a Classic" including the 316i Kevin, how about a pic Kevin. As I have said before we must be posative.
PS Lets make this a never ending thread or at least till the E30 is a Classic. Ron Parish Chairman E30 Classic Register |
Posted By: Horsetan
Date Posted: 09-September-2004 at 17:01
In today's economic climate (especially where pension funds are concerned), shouldn't that be: "Remember: stocks can go up as well as down" ?  -------------   
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Posted By: Kevin_E30_318iS
Date Posted: 10-September-2004 at 16:49
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I think your idea of lobbying the classic car magazines is a good one Ron. If enough E30 owners made submissions, they would need to acknowledge this model properly. ------------- Kevin_1990_318iS |
Posted By: Kevin_E30_318iS
Date Posted: 10-September-2004 at 16:57
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Oh, a pic of my 316i is available on the Irish Section Gallery at
[URL=http://www.bmwcarclubireland.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=35] See the pic of the apline white E30. ------------- Kevin_1990_318iS |
Posted By: Kevin_E30_318iS
Date Posted: 10-September-2004 at 17:00
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Hmmm, trying to place URL again...
http://www.bmwcarclubireland.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=35 - Irish BMWCC Section Gallery ------------- Kevin_1990_318iS |
Posted By: Nigel
Date Posted: 10-September-2004 at 19:24
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I think the earlier post about younger people wanting them, then actually getting to own them whilst aged 40 ish is about right. Most of the cars I count as classics were current models when I was a boy, and owned by my father, uncles etc. MGB, Rover p6 V8s,porsche 911 targa,E type jag( I had some rich uncles !!), even an austin somerset. The Austin Somerset, and a Morris Oxford estate figure most in my boyhood memories of days to the seaside etc, and I think this is maybe what makes a car a classic to a person. It certainly doesnt have to be mechanically brilliant, or even fast. It will just take longer with bm's, as although they are popular now, they werent so popular in the 70's. ------------- Best Wishes Nigel |