I spent the summer of 1969 in Europe, and what a golden time it was for cars then. Although the Peugeot 504 may have won Europe’s COTY (voted on by journalists throughout the continent), the number two vote-getter clearly gets my nod for CCOTY. The brilliant new six cylinder BMWs “New Six” (E3 internal code) sedans, in 2500 and 2800 versions, was the new heart throb for those with more gasoline than absinthe in their veins. My youthful lust for these was practically obscene: how could a car be so equally ravishing in both its external looks and everything underneath? This was the perfect car. That was probably the best judgement I had about anything that summer, being sixteen and with almost unfettered freedom (including being able to drink legally). So when I look at this picture, it’s 1969, and I’m in love allover again; especially since I don’t have any pictures of Gabrielle.
I have yet to find an E3 on the streets, and when I do,a full CC will ensue. But let’s just put it into perspective, at least briefly. Although the E3 was the first step of an evolution to what became the 7 Series, this car is smaller than a new 3 Series in almost every dimension, and weighed some 500 lbs less.
The E3 was a superb car all-round, but obviously its greatest asset was under its hood. The M30 straight six was heads and shoulders above any other engine in Europe at the time, and Mercedes never could equal it in terms of its brilliant “bite”, and heroic capabilities. “Turbine smooth” became the predictable and over-used terms to describe its smooth running nature. Initially, it came in 2.5 and 2.8L form, but its capacity grew along with its reputation, all the way to 3.5 L, and a DOHC head as used in the M5 and M1.
No matter what you may think about BMWs today, in 1969, this was the second coming of the car. That was me behind the wheel, flying down the autobahn at 220 km/h, in a white 2800. You’re only sixteen once, so why not fall in love with the fastest and hottest new thing?
I thought these cars were the absolute bomb when they were introduced, and the splendid 2800CS was the icing on the cake. You’ve remarked before about how the Corvair spread it’s stylistic genes around, and you can really see them here. I remember L J K Setright commenting that although the 2.8 engine was torquier, the 2.5 was smoother. Altogether, a real seductress that appeals to me more than any BMW since.
sweet, Paul! I didn’t see that coming
A few years ago, I happened to encounter one of these moldering under a tarp, a gorgeous turquoise two-door. I’d never seen an early one in person, it really is a stunning design. The owners had inherited it from a parent who’d been a mechanic specializing in German stuff. It had been perfect when it was parked…
I too was besotted with these when they appeared , but in retrospect a car with a single-cam head falls a little bit short….
By 1969 I was driving a twin cam six, albeit one that was very cheap at seven years old.
I notice the wheels are very similar to those used on prestige Italian marques.
A Jag, I assume?
Yes, those optional alloys were bought straight from Cromodora, or whoever made them. Look identical to the ones on Fiat 130.
Well, they aren’t, in fact the ones used by BMW are not even Cromodoras. They were made by an Italian company called FPS (Foundry Pedrini Siena). Actually there’s bigger resemblance to Fiat Dino magnesium wheels (Cromodora CD 1), and what’s even more obvious, both Dino and 130 alloys are six-spoke whereas those used by BMW were five-spoke.
Note, please, that this particular Dino Spider has centre-lock hubs but some of them (and almost all Dino Coupes) had similar chrome hub caps as other models.
Cheers.
This is a good choice. This BMW and the Mercedes of this vintage were, in retrospect, the first two nails in Cadillac’s dominance of the American luxury market.
Not a bad car these for a german Triumph but…. horrendously overpriced when new here not particularly reliable ever and try finding a live one now, The price of new cylinder heads put most early BMWs in the scrapyard The triumph 2500s are still going and common. Handling yardstick well only in USA.
My uncle had several Bavarias in the early 70s ( a US specific model with a 2800 engine and 2500 trim/options) and claimed they self destructed at 50,000 miles. Subsequently he drove Mercedes for the rest of his life although my aunt went back to BMW with a 5 series in the mid 90’s.
These don’t rust too badly so you can probably find some daily drivers in Portland, even if a big BMW is too plutocratic for Eugene.
I totally agree, Paul. I was seventeen occasionally driving my mother’s 2002. I saw this and tried to convince her to go for it. “Mom. it’s only a little bigger, more trunk space, etc, etc! More practical.” No such luck. She saw right through my fake argument.
I had a bad case of BMW lust in the early 80s. These cars, with the delicate use of chrome trim instead of the blackout stuff of fifteen years later would have set my heart aflame as well. Beautiful cars. I drove an 83 or so 7 series. An incredible road car.
They were probably too expensive for what you got, but what you got was really unique on these. Not a bad choice for 1969.
True, there was really nothing else like these cars available at the time. That alone would be worth the price of admission for a great many people, especially on a car that looks as cool as this one. Oh and when the run they drive well, too. Just prepare for regular wallet Hooverings.
These things disappeared off the used car scene shockingly quickly.
I think these are my favorite BMW. Classic lines like the 1602/2002, but in a bigger, more luxurious size. Munich’s Fleetwood Brougham!
Like so many BMW cars of the era, these cars were lovely to look at and nice to drive. That is a big thing about these cars, yes, they are nice to drive but they self destruct at an alarming rate. It has to be the reason why there are so few left when there are loads of old Mercedes Benz cars around. The Mercs of the era were some of the best cars ever made bar none, even today. The E3 was always a ticking time bomb.
When I was a kid, we had an older neigbour, a very well-to-do gent. He had always driven Cadillacs but he was not impressed with the Caddy after 1971. Around 1974 he bought a new Bavaria, which was not a cheap car. It died on his way home. In the year he had it, it stranded him three more times and his wife made him get rid of it. He replaced it with a Lincoln Town Car, which for an 11 year old was about the coolest thing this side of a space ship. Granpa Gord (as we called him) would load a bunch of kids in the Lincoln and take them for ice cream. That’s a nice memory of a cool man with a cool car.
The sad part of this article is: Spend a few minutes looking at this car. Then go and look at what BMW has in the showrooms today. Overweight, over-plush, over-gadgeted re-badged Lincolns that can go thru the corners just a slight bit faster. There are moments when I wish BMW could be sued into changing the name (and roundel) on the hood, because they aren’t building BMW’s anymore.
I agree, Skye, but BMW is making huge profits by doing this, which is the name of the game.
In addition, starting in 2014, BMW will add an optional “Hello Kitty” package for all their models. Should be a strong seller to BMW’s Shangnai housewife Ultimate Driving Experience.
http://www.seniorsix.org
“…. horrendously overpriced when new here not particularly reliable ever and try finding a live one now, The price of new cylinder heads put most early BMWs in the scrapyard ”
Not many imported to the US back in the day. But the reason you can’t find many on the road today… They are almost 50 years old!!! (But I will give you the cylinder head remark.) The US market Bavaria was reasonably priced.
That’s where we come in. We have members that have E3s for daily drivers. We have folks with 350,000 miles on an E3. Its all in the maintenance and care of the cars.
There is nothing like driving a vintage BMW. Back to the basics of the Ultimate Driving Machine. Back when YOU the driver made the car do what it did. Not 1000 lbs of electronics.
Heck.. 2 years ago, my DD was an E12 converted into a pickup.
There are loads of MB cars around from the era. As someone who sold both, I can say that the MB cars lasted a lot longer, especially the engines which were basically bulletproof. I cannot say the same about BMW’s.
My brother-in-law drives a 1995 525 with a 5-speed. It’s got about 180,000 miles on it. I think that it still has its original clutch. My sister bought a used 740 or 745 about a year ago with 49,000 miles on it for $19,000. So far it’s been a great long distance cruiser. She’s prepared to shitcan can it at the first sign of trouble.
I ended up buying a ’74 Bavaria in 1990 or so after looking at a lot of 2002’s that were either hopelessly rusty, hopelessly abused, hopelessly overpriced or some combination of the three. The low mileage Bavaria seemed ridiculously cheap.
It was, indeed, a beautiful car (see below). However, over time I learned its fatal flaw, which is a tendency to overheat. Actually, worse yet, it tended to run sorta hot under certain conditions but not REALLY overheat, which was worse in its way because you would put up with it longer. I’m pretty sure the head issues are caused in part by the running hot. Also, if you have an automatic trans, when the engine runs hot so does your transmission, ask me how I know.
They really needed an overdrive. At 60 MPH, the engine was already at 3000 RPM. The Bav lacks the kind of sound insulation that American luxury car buyers expect, so freeway driving was a noisy affair.
BMW styling in the 1990-91 time frame was still so similar that a lot of people mistook the Bavaria for a much newer car. Sometimes that would be fun. Other times though, it meant I was seen as just another conspicuously-consuming tool in a BMW. That probably had something to do with my decision to change car personalities entirely and replace it with a ’74 Buick Electra.
Nice to see some E3 love outside of our regular circle. 🙂 I own an ’83 MB 300D-T and a ’73 bavaria, and you can compare the two all you like but the Benz is really in a different league. Neither company today builds cars like a 1970s or 80s Benz. It drives a like a boat though. 🙂 The bavaria, at age 40, keeps up with modern cars with ease. Especially in the twisties. Keeping up with a modern BMW is always entertaining.
The ones still on the road today, rare as they are, have generally had all the issues worked out. Yank the emissions controls, upgrade the cooling system, rebuild the carbs properly, and you’re good. The engine was used in BMWs for another 20 years, so mechanical spares are generally easy to find or you can adapt them from newer 6 cylder cars up through the E28 or even the E34.
Rust also killed them. Examples in salt road areas are all gone, cars in the south rust from the inside out due to rain. Climate means most of the survivors are out west.
The Senior Six Registry has a very active mailing list and there is more concentrated E3 knowledge and history there than you’re likely to find anywhere.
Fun fact: Jackie Kennedy Onassis owned a green one and it is apparently still around, was sold on Ebay in 2000.
http://www.seniorsix.org/photos/jackie.html
I am fortunate to have had both a W111 Mercedes coupe (280 SE with a four speed floor-shift, yet), and an E3. I agree about the rock-solid reliability of the ‘Benz – and I even love the six more than the 3.5 eight. I also dodged any fuel-injection pump bullets during my ‘Benz ownership (but always said a silent prayer before going on any long journeys and made sure I had at least one credit card on me with a sufficient enough balance to limp me home if needed). But both cars were equally vulnerable to the tin-worm, and when it came to handling whilst really pushing the car, the E3 won hands down. As a modern-day classic, the E3 (if you can find one with floors and a spare-wheel well intact), is about the most modern-feeling car you can hope to own. And with the youngest of them now approaching – what – 38 years old? That’s REALLY saying something. It said enough to me, in fact, that I have just bought another one!