Sunday, July 13, 2014

2k: Orangina: 1977 BMW 320i E21

The E21 generation BMW 3-series is sort of the forgotten little brother of the big cheese E30.  Perhaps it is because the E21 never had a hyper-popular fanboy-drool-inducing M version, or Turbo graphic covered version like the 2002, but the market for an E21 is very affordable...and that is a good thing.  Find this 1977 BMW 320i E21 offered for $1800 in Fraser, MI via craigslist.


The E21 generation BMW 3-series was initially a project run by Paul Bracq (famous for his work on Benz W108 & W114, French TGV train, BMW 2002 Turbo, and at least one Pope-mobile when he worked at Peugeot)  and later finished by Claus Luthe (first at NSU, Audi and then BMW).  The US version has a bad case of under-bite due to its huge 5mph impact bumpers, but it is hard to tell in this bumperless example.






Under the hood of this E21 is the fuel injected M10, a 2.0 liter inline-4 good for 125 horsepower and mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox.  The E21 isn't a fast vehicle, but its rack-and-pinion steering and lightweight chassis makes a decent and capable back roads car if you enjoy low limits and balanced handling.


See another Hofmeister kink equipped classic for less? tips@dailyturismo.com
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2 comments:

  1. KingstonMikeJuly 14, 2014 at 12:17 PM

    Just the number 01 on the side away from a Dukes of Hazzard paint job.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jeff BJuly 15, 2014 at 12:36 PM

    I owned a E21 320is about 15 years ago. I remember how great it handled and how reliable it was, but slow. Really, really slow... The grey market 323i is the one to get. Prices for nice examples (323i) can get close to $15k.

    ReplyDelete

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