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!

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.

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.

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.

5k: New Six: 1972 BMW Bavaria

The BMW New Six was launched in 1968 to fill a gap in the product line from Bavaria since the BMW 501 had been discontinued in 1961.  The 501/502 was a post-war styled beast that was never transformed  into a late 50s/early 60s styled car.  In the mid 60's BMW was futzing around with gorgeous low volume specials like the 3200 CS but Mercedes was gaining market share and steadily powering the world with its executive specials like the W111 and W108.  Things changed with the launch of the cruise missile shaped predecessor to the BMW 7-series and Stuttgart was officially put on notice.  Today, clean examples of the New Six are surprisingly affordable for what you get.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria for sale in Seattle, WA for $5,000 via craigslist.

10k: More Pitchforks? 1972 BMW Bavaria E3 Slammed

First DT features a stanced W108 Mercedes-Benz and now an E3 Bavaria?  Hold on, before you start soaking the torch tips in kerosene, take a closer look at today's feature and you may find it to be workable.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria E3 for sale in San Luis Obispo, CA for $9,000 via craigslist.  Photos from stanceworks.com

5k: New Six: 1969 BMW 2800

In 1968 BMW introduced a new line of mid-sized sedan that it called simply the "new six" - a reference to the number of cylinders in the M30 engine.  The new six is commonly called the Bavaria in North America because the higher end versions were indeed badged that way, but in 1969 you could get a 2500 or 2800; the Bavaria didn't come out until 1971.  Find this 1969 BMW 2800 for sale in Agoura Hills, CA for $6,500 via craigslist.

5k: Bavarian Creme Pie: 1973 BMW Bavaria E3

In 1968 BMW launched a new large luxury sedan under the internal designation "New Six." The E3 sedan version eventually changed into the 7-series, but before it became the bloated twin-turbo pig it is today, this car was badged the Bavaria for the US market and powered by BMW's big six engines.  Find this 1973 BMW Bavaria for sale in Covina, CA for $6,800 $5,800 buy-it-now or best offer via ebay.  Tip from Rod S.  Updated 10/20/2013 price dropped to $5,800 BIN - thx Matthew.

5k: Stephanie's Sister: 1972 BMW Bavaria, E3 New Six 2800

We were positively deluged with tips the past few days and now have the rare opportunity to share many of the gems that didn't quite make the top 50.  First up is another classic piece of iron from Germany that is offered for an exceptional price.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria 2800 E3 for sale in Vancouver, WA for $2500 via craigslist.  (Ed's note: No rest for the wicked --back to the grind...)

17 of 50: Stephanie: 1973 BMW Bavaria

BMW sedans have traditionally been incredibly well handling solidly built machines, that is until they started becoming over-complicated to the point that today they have terrible depreciation and a whole cadre of esoteric electronic devices to fail at any moment. Back when they sold a product that was designed to last for longer than the 3-year initial lease period, the E3 New Six Bavaria was the top of the heap for roomy yet capable sedans offered in the US. It featured a torquey 3.0L inline six-cylinder powerplant, a 4-spd manual trans, 4-wheel independent suspension and sharky good looks. Get yourself into a big open greenhouse and buy this 1973 BMW Bavaria light project car available on craigslist in Cedar Lake, MN for only $2900.

This feature is part of Daily Turismo's birthday celebration of 50 cars in 24 hours..

10k: Like New Six: 1972 BMW Bavaria 3.0, Minty Clean

The BMW E3 generation 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 today make for great classic drivers.  Prices for nice examples are still reasonable for a classic European sedan.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria 3.0 for sale in Charlotte, NC currently bidding for $11,300 with one day to go.

5k Flash: Classic Tank: 1971 BMW 2500 E3

Before the BMW 5 and 7 series dotted the used automotive luxury sedan market like cornfields in Iowa, there was a medium sized sedan from BMW internally called the New Six.  In the US the car was known as the Bavaria, but in Europe they were badged based on engine size for the ultimate 'mine is bigger than yours' parking lot contest.  Find this 1971 BMW 2500 E3 sedan for sale in Reutlingen, Deutschland for €2,800 EUR ($3,650 at the time of publishing) via mobile.de.

5k: 1974 BMW Bavaria E3 sedan w/ BMW bike

The BMW E3 was the big daddy to the modern 5-series and packs a lot of cool into an affordable vintage package.  Badged as the Bavaria and powered by torquey inline sixes, the E3 (and E9 coupe cousin) proved that BMW was a player in the luxury sport sedan market and today are very inexpensive to own and maintain.  This 1974 BMW Bavaria is offered for sale in the SF Bay Area, CA via the e9coupe.com forums at a very reasonable $4974 asking.

10k: 1969 BMW 2800 Sedan E3

The E3 BMW was the sedan equivalent of the stunning BMW E9 coupe.  If offered the same BMW handling, torquey inline 6s and great build quality, but with a back seat that can fit a human being.  Unfortunately the flowing coupe lines are lost and the car looks quite a bit like an Alfa Romeo Berlina - but it is the grandpa to modern 5-series sedans and a great value today.  This 1969 BMW 2800 sedan recently sold on ebay for $6599, but the winning bidder flaked and now its back up for sale on ebay, bidding at $5,300 with 5 days to go (in San Francisco, CA).