BMWish: 1962 Glas S1004 Coupe

Hans Glas GmbH was originally founded in 1883 as an agricultural repair shop, but sometime in the 1950s, Glas started building its own small sports coupes in the town of Dingolfing in Bavaria.  BMW absorbed the Glas product line and factory in 1962 and what was left of Glas started building the BMW 1500 version of the New Class sedan.  A few years later, (1966) Glas was outright purchased by BMW to gain access to its patents and large manufacturing facility and today the Dingolfing factory builds BMW 5, 6 and 7 series automobiles.  Today's next feature is a small Glas coupe that is located somewhere south of the border, so make sure you have your importation experts ready. Find this 1962 Glas S1004 Coupe offered here on eBay for $14,500 in Montevideo, Uruguay. As seen on Germancarsforsaleblog.

Spätburgunder: 1972 BMW Bavaria

The Bavaria was the name for the bigger engine version of what BMW internally called the New Six (E3 sedan, E9 coupe) for the US market.  It was subsequently replaced by the E23 7-series, but for a few years (from 1968-1977) it offered a large executive sedan setup with a focus on fun for the driver.  Most have succumbed to rust and over priced repair shops -- but a few survive and this next example looks shockingly well preserved.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria offered for $17,500 in Burlingame, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Happy Oktoberfest: 1985 BMW 635 CSI Euro

Oktoberfest starts on the 21st of September and we're gonna celebrate the Bavarian festival of Beer and Fun by featuring some Bavarian classics. First up is this "mechanic owned" BMW 6-series from the e24 generation...and I've got to say there are some pluses and minuses from buying a car that is/was owned by a mechanic.  Typically mechanics will do the needed difficult maintenance items (rebuilding the transmission, for instance) but will often defer maintenance that can be "driven around". Items like vibrating under braking might cause you to take to your mechanic for new wheel bearings, but that same mechanic knows that braking hard at the beginning of slowing will make the rotors take over some of the job of those worn out bearings...so I'm not sure if buying from a mechanic is a good or a bad thing.  But this E24 is certainly at the bottom of its deprecation curve and we will all be screaming about how over priced the market is in a few years.  Find this 1985 BMW 635 CSI Euro here on eBay bidding for $5000 in Eustis, FL with 2 days to go.

Blue Beast: 1973 BMW Bavaria 3.0S

The Bavaria was the name for the bigger engine version of what BMW internally called the New Six (E3 sedan, E9 coupe) for the US market.  It was eventually replaced by the E23 7-series, but for a few years (from 1968-1977) it offered a large executive sedan setup with a focus on fun for the driver. This next example isn't in perfect condition, but it is offered for a reasonable price. Find this 1973 BMW Bavaria 3.0S offered for $3,500 in Seattle, WA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Classic 4-Door: 1974 BMW Bavaria 4 Speed

BMW's E3 generation sedan (1968-1977) was known internally as the "New Six" and was badged as the Bavaria when equipped with larger engines for the US Market.  The E3 was available with several versions of the torquey M30 big-six and today make for decent classic drivers if you want something German and with a manual gearbox.  Find this 1974 BMW Bavaria 4 Speed offered here on eBay bidding for $3,400 with 4 days to go, located in Franklin Lakes, NJ.

Craig's Gift to Car Guys: 1972 BMW Bavaria

In the coming few days I hope to bring some light to any old-car despair you might be feeling, and share a string of cool and affordable survivor cars found on none other than the list that is Craig's. By the way, Craig Newmark is a real dude, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for bringing free online automotive classifieds to the masses. As a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 2000s, I felt like I had an edge on the rest of the world with access to the OG craigslist site, and used it to furnish my rental house, find weird roommates, and browse cool cheap used cars long before the rest of the country. Progress being progress, I'm glad Craig and his team are slowly trying to take over the world, because it makes finding cheap survivors that much easier. Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria for sale in Ridgecrest, CA for $5,000 via craigslist.

Needs a New Six: 1973 BMW 3.0S Bavaria

The E9 3.0CS is perhaps the better known of BMW's late 60's to early 70's shark nose New Six designs, however, these days the 'C' stands for costly as they are rapidly shooting out of the realm of affordability. Worry not, there remains some refuge from market valuation in the E3 sedan, or Bavaria.  Find this 1973 BMW 3.0S Bavaria here for sale in Cumming, GA for only $1,500 via craigslist.

Classic Sedan: 1972 BMW Bavaria 3.0

The BMW Bavaria  was the version of the BMW E3 sedan (known internally as the "New Six") that was powered by the big 3.0 liter M30B30 inline-6.  Today's example looks like a lot of vintage car for the asking price and comes with  new tires and 4-speed manual gearbox.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria 3.0 offered for $5,500 in Eagle Rock, CA via craigslist.

E28 M-Spork: 1985 BMW M535i

Many sellers on Craigslist write preposterous statements about their BMW such as-- BMW 318i, M-Sport, basically an M3 with better fuel economy.  This is good stuff, except that it isn't an M car any more than it is a cancer fighting cure for ebola on the end of a Q-tip.  Simply put, a modern M-package 3/5-series isn't anything like a real M car and misses all the good stuff that takes the average BMW from a simple family luxo-sedan to a track monster.  However, there was a time when the M-badge was actually placed by the factory on the E28 5-series for the European market, and it makes a case for a spot in your garage.  Like this 1985 BMW M535i offered for $8250 in Lexington, KY via craigslist.  Tip from FuelTruck.

Not The Wurst: 1972 BMW Bavaria E3

The BMW E3 was the big daddy to the modern 7 Series and packs a lot of panache into an affordable vintage sedan package.  It was designated internally by BMW as the "New Six" and badged for the US market as the 2500, 2800 and Bavaria for the US Market.   Prices for nice examples are still reasonable for a classic European sedan and projects are very affordable.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria E3 offered for $4500 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist. Tip from Kaibeezy.

5k: E28 M30B34 Swap: 1974 BMW Bavaria 3.0

The Bavaria was the name for the bigger engine version of what BMW internally called the New Six (E3 sedan, E9 coupe) for the US market.  It was eventually replaced by the E23 7-series, but for a few years (from 1968-1977) it offered a large executive sedan setup with a focus on fun for the driver.  Find this 1974 BMW Bavaria 3.0 with E28 M30B34 Swap offered for $7,950 located in Atlanta, GA via craigslist.  Tip from FuelTruck.

5k: Simple Life: 1974 BMW 2002

The BMW 2002 is a perfect car for a simple Friday commuter that can be used as a weekend cruiser and taken to any number of small Saturday morning car shows held in parking lots across the nation.  The best part is that you don't need to be a electrical engineer to diagnose starting problems or a rocket scientist to keep it running.  Cheap examples are out there, but you have to act quickly.  Find this 1974 BMW 2002 offered for $6,900 via craigslist, located in San Diego, CA.

5k: Seller Submission: 1987 BMW 325is E30 2-Door

The E30 generation BMW 3-series solidified the Bavarian automaker's reputation for building clean looking, relatively quick, manual transmission equipped sport sedans.  The market for the M3 version is currently riding a crazy wave of appreciation, but the standard 325 is a much cheaper way to get your E30 groove going.  Find this 1987 BMW 325is E30 2-Door offered for $4,500 in Omaha, NE via craigslist.  Seller submission from JD.

1k: Seller Sub: 1972 BMW Bavaria

The BMW E3 generation mid-sized sedan was known internally as the "New Six" and was later badged as the Bavaria (when equipped with larger engines) for the US Market.  The E3 was available with several versions of the torquey M30 big-six and they make for great classic drivers.  Today's Bavaria comes to us as a seller submission from Brian.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria offered for $1,800 in Pacific City, OR via craigslist.

5k: Spare Parts: 1972 BMW Bavaria

There is an old saying amongst car guys that you should never pick up another man's project -- but sometimes you need to ignore those old sayings and take a risk you want to get a good deal.  The BMW E3, aka New Six, was a sedan chassis built from 1968 through 1977 and technically the predecessor of the 7 Series. Today prices are still reasonable when compared with similar classic BMW models. Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria offered for $3,000 in San Diego, CA via craigslist.  Update: Well, that didn't last.  The Bavaria's seller has deleted the listing.

20k: Three Owner: 1988 BMW M5 E28

The BMW E28 M5 was hand built in the Daimlerstraße factory in Garching, Bavaria for the 1988 model year for US market.  With a total of 2191 cars built for world wide consumption the E28 M5 is the rarest of M5 cars, but prices have taken an upward trend recently..  Find this 1988 BMW M5 E28 currently bidding for $18,700 on ebay with one day to go, located in Miami, FL.

10k: Caution Wet Paint: 1972 BMW Bavaria 3.0

Anyone who has ever been involved with a business decision will recognize the conundrum of make vs. buy.  It isn't just limited to businesses like BMW needing to decide if they should make their own fuel injection systems or outsource it, it also applies to people remodeling a kitchen; DIY or contractor?  The make vs. buy decision is made up front when you buy a used classic; spend bucks up front for a nice one or get a project.  On expensive makes/models we tend to look at ones that need work to keep our outlay minimal, but on less expensive examples, it is best to spend the previous owner's money and get one that is already nice, like this 1972 BMW Bavaria 3.0 offered for $11,888 in Sammammammammamish, WA via craigslist.