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.

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.

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.

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.

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.