(first posted 3/30/2015) I was driving in Pasadena last Sunday when a 1974 BMW Bavaria caught my eye. You don’t see these very often anymore, not even at car shows, so I decided to take a closer look. Before we examine this Cali blue-plate special, how about a refresher course on the big BMW “New Six” (E3) sedan.
The New Six (E3) was BMW’s new six-cylinder competitor to the famous Mercedes S-Class W108 and the six-cylinder W114s, the 4-door sedans that largely started the German luxury car craze in America. The E3 debuted in 1969 as two models — the 2.5L “2500” and the 2.8L “2800”.
The 2500 was pretty basic in trim and spec — think German taxi. The 2800 came loaded with alloys, leather, power windows and a fancy self-leveling rear suspension.
Sales were not so good. Part of it was that BMW was still a fairly small brand on our shores with little awareness in the larger luxury segment. Another problem was the high price and odd packaging.
The 2500 was too stripped, the 2800 too loaded, and there was no in-between. To get a “must have” feature like power windows (or a decent looking interior) you had to walk up to the 2800 and take everything. The MSRP on a 1970 2800 was $6,779 which was more than a Cadillac Sedan de Ville at $6,118 and Mercedes 280SE at $6,561.
Perhaps the main reason for the poor sales was dullness — early E3s just didn’t “pop” the way Mercedes did.
That was a shame because these were terrific cars. And they shared their front end design and superb six-cylinder engines with one of the most beautiful coupes ever made, the CS or “E9” in BMW parlance.
The 2.5L with Zenith carbs put out 150HP compared to 130HP for the Mercedes 250S. I believe the “M30” inline-six got BMW’s triple-hemispheric combustion chamber design (Dreikugel Wirbelwannenbrennraum) from the get go; the 2002’s inline-four didn’t get that until 1973 if memory serves.
The size seemed right, covering the ground between the Mercedes 250/280 (W114/115) and the 250S/280SE (W108).
Around 1970 a sportier black grille replaced the boring argent one and started the “shark” theme for BMW. The black paint gave the front end a gaping, hungry mouth. Without an open mouth a shark is just a big dolphin!
With this single change I began to associate the E3 more with its sexy sister even though there were few around and I was a small child. The car finally had the upscale image and aggressive personality it deserved. All from paint! (My uncle worked for Vasek Polak, a well-known BMW dealer in LA, and that’s how I got to know the cars.)
The pricing problem got fixed in 1971 when Max Hoffman, the US importer, convinced BMW to repackage the car into a single model that offered more reasonable equipment steps and a lower starting price — $5,000.
Concurrent with that change the base 2.5L engine was dropped and all models got the chrome trim on the sides which further linked the E3 to the E9 coupe visually. There was one more important revision: The miserable ZF 3-speed automatic transmission was replaced with a better performing Borg-Warner unit.
The name of the new model was “Bavaria”. In 1972, the Bavaria got the 3.0 six. And the full-trim model was now called 3.0S. In 1975, the big six received fuel injection, and the Bavaria name was dropped. In its last two years (1975-1976) the only E3 sedan sold was then the 3.0Si. US sales ended after MY 1976, when the all-new 7-Series took its place.
Though several model names were used during the E3’s long run (including the extended-wheelbase 3.3L and 3.3Li in Europe, above), Bavaria was the one that stuck. You never hear about Jackie’s 3.0S, it’s always The Bavaria. It started my lifelong belief that pet names are better than alphanumeric in almost all cases.
A closer look at the feature car reminds me how special these were and how lucky we are to live in SoCal. This damn car has original paint!
It also has a stick, something you could not get on a US-spec W108 in the 70s. Unlike most modern cars that are only attractive when viewed from afar the E3 had artistic touches and clever details anywhere you cared to look.
Who can forget the little airfoil on the wiper arm or the grates in the hood?
Or the overly complex mounting for the front headrests?
The E3 was the first model to popularize the Hofmeister kink, at least in the US. Yes I know the 1500 sedan from 1961 had it first but we rarely saw those here. The kink wasn’t just about styling, it made the rear window easier to roll down fully and “pushed the door’s opening line far back over the wheelhouse, allowing a better entry/exit”, to quote one source.
I always thought the E36 3-series sedan had the kink, but not the coupe.
My guess is that the owner was at the Whole Paycheck down the street and didn’t want to park in the lot to spare a few door dings. When you park at the curb there are other things to worry about… who knew a shark with 5-mph bumpers could be so vulnerable?
Now for the really amazing part. That faded, vintage “USC” sticker on the rear window stands for University of Southern California. At first I thought this car belonged to an older dude who bought it new right out of school and kept it all these years as a weekend driver.
When I walked around front I noticed a Pasadena City College student sticker on the windshield. Not only is this car in the hands of a young enthusiast, he or she drives it every day! Or so it would seem.
It’s a small world and I’m hoping the owner will see this Curbside Classic and fill in the blanks on the car’s history and future plans. Restore it some day? Drive it until the engine goes and then replace it with a 3.5L + 5-speed from an 80s 535i? Since this Bavaria is a ’74 there is no need to worry about smog checks, those only apply to ’76 and up in California.
That Bavaria badge is plain wrong. Like many other classics, Melbourne had its fair share of these then… gone. I like the meanness of the black grille, but I prefer the chromey-look. Nice piece, Calibrick
“I was driving in Pasadena last Sunday when a 1974 BMW Bavaria caught my eye. ”
This could be a line from an Eagles song from the late ’70s!
It’s a compliment BTW.
“I as lying in a burned-out basement, with the full moon in my eye…..” Neil Young
That is quite ugly. Not much love for these BMWs.
The only ugly part IMO was the battering ram bumpers on the ’74 and ’75 year models. the Mercedes-Benz S-Class from 1974-1980 suffered this indignity too.
They don’t look too bad from far away. Two of those gorgeous CS coupes I posted have the big bumpers. The “overbite” front end helps hide the length of the front. The rear is pretty horrible.
’74+ Mercedes were much worse looking, it’s almost as if MB was giving the US a big F/U.
One problem on pre-’73 BMWs is that the nose sticks out so far at the top that it’s hard to find one that hasn’t been tapped. Many ’72 2002 owners update to the slightly different ’73 bumper to help avoid this.
The ’74 Bavaria in the article had a virgin nose, not tapped.
Calling just one of the cars made by Bavarian Motor Works “The Bavaria” is sort of like calling one Ford model “The Ford”. Unlike those other Fords which are just “a Ford” or “any old Ford”, this one is “The Ford”.
Of course Chrysler did the same thing in Australia with The Chrysler Chrysler, so maybe it’s not so strange after all.
What you’re talking about could be called the Tautological Title: “Bavarian Motor Works Bavaria.”
True, but unlike the Chrysler Chrysler (by Chrysler?), BMW in the U.S. had a certain advantage in that a lot of buyers probably didn’t know offhand what the acronym stood for.
It would be more like calling a car the Ford Michigan.
He’s stopped to put his PIN number in the ATM machine for some cash money on his commute to work at the Dept. of Redundancy Department.
Thanks, that made me laugh. And in his spare time, he plays for the American Dodgeball Association of America.
But does the car have a CVT transmission? 😉
They were trying to give the car more German identity. It’s hard to imagine now but back then if you said BMW to anyone other than an enthusiast you would have been met with a blank stare. The Mercedes brand had come up so quickly and strongly that by 1970 everyone knew what it was and that it was German and good. “Oh Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz” sang Janis Joplin in 1971.
Also, alphanumeric model names were still somewhat new to Americans. Not only was the brand name in this case not even a word (BMW) but the model name was just a number. BMW wasn’t the only one that struggled with this. Remember the Renault Le Car? Even Fiat got into the game with the Brava.
Janis Joplin died in 1970
Haha I KNEW someone would say that! The Mercedes song was released in ’71 but technically she couldn’t have sung it then as she was dead. So I was half right 🙂
the Bavaria was the only named BMW. I owned a 74 complete w/3.0 alum hemi, twin carbs & original Agave paint & tan leather roof, interior, hand crank windows & sunroof, BMW turbine aluminum wheels auto trans. 185k miles of the smoothest, occasionally 140mph 5 fwy mph driving. the only drawback was the 2pc driveshaft that required ctr bearing replacement every 25k mi & a machine drilled, key that had to be ordered from BMW. she turned heads. built to cruise the hwy 101, the le car doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath.
I couldn’t part w/the manual,
Hey Calibrick, this is the owner of the ’74 Bavaria you wrote about back in ’15. I just stumbled upon your post tonight and was taken back.
Its been in my family since 1974 so yes, my dad was the original owner. The Bavaria carried the family to Mammoth, Tahoe and Utah for decades. Unfortunately, I’m now looking to sell ’cause I don’t have the means to keep it beautiful. The engine and transmission are still strong (rebuilt 20 yrs ago) but other minor things failing. Seeing your post tugged on my heart.
Hoping to find someone who will bring this rare classic back to its glory days…if you know of anyone interested, please let me know.
Did you ever sell it?
No 4 door auto was quicker from zero to 75 mph than that Bavaria with a comfortable cruising speed of 80 mph on US 395.
A better example might be if GM introduced a truck called “The General”.
Hmm that name might actually work.
That reminds me of the Great Locomotive Chase (AKA Andrews’ Raid), involving a Confederate 4-4-0 of that name.
In American domestic marketing, it’s prudent to Not Mention the War, though admittedly, this episode is probably not widely known anymore.
What about the AMC Rebel?
You, sir, are forgetting that actually existed. I present to you, the GMC General:
What struck me is how the GMC General resembled the Mack Superliner.
The according Ford model would have been called “The Northrine-Westfalia” ! 😉
Ford Germany did do a Ford Köln, a version of the English model Y.
For many years Ford did call their full-size model the “Ford”, which of course represented several model names, typically Custom, Galaxie, LTD and Country Sedan / Squire.
Attached is a Ford ad referring collectively to the ’65 Ford full-size cars. It is a bit hard to see in this example, (circled in red), but Ford would proclaim itself the builder of Mustang, Falcon, Fairlane, FORD, and Thunderbird.
Just like for decades the full sized cars made by Chevrolet were called…Chevrolet. The same applied to Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, and quite a few others. The original commenter is missing the obvious.
These early BMW’s are quite captivating, but my knowledge pool was rather shallow until now. Thank you.
I’m not one to spend much effort talking about the styling of a car – the mechanical end is more appealing. However, BMW was one of the best in having continuity in their “look”. The lineage up through the current 5 and 7 series is readily evident. How many other manufacturers can make such a claim?
One question: Does keeping a BMW of this vintage roadworthy come at the same premium as a comparable Mercedes of the same age? I suspect it is, but haven’t heard any horror stories about it.
I echo Jason’s sentiments in that I didn’t know a whole lot about of details on this car, so thank’s for this excellent article. I am a lover of most BMWs, and this car is quite beautiful. Maybe not quite as stately, but less stodgy and more athletic looking than the W108. As a 5th generation Bavarian, I must say that the name makes the car even more appealing.
I’ve had many long discussions with my trusty Volvo mechanic, who is also a BMW-certified technician. He said that Volvo’s flagship car in the early ’70s, the 164, was interesting, but a joke compared to a technically-advanced car such as the E3 Bavaria 3.0S.
He also showed me a 164 he was working on at one point and I have to admit, that pushrod B30 straight-six looked like a big oversize lump compared to BMW’s classic OHC M30 six, which powered so many of their cars. And the BMW motor probably revs to higher rpms than the Volvo engine.
Count me in here – I’d take this over any Volvo
No question that the E3 is nicer, but the 164 was a much less expensive car. My folks bought a ’72 164E in November 1972 for $4500. I’m sure that they got a deal since the ’73 model year had already begun, but a Bavaria would have cost at least a third more.
After the 1967 Cadillac my father drove a 1974 3.0S. It was a beautiful car with dark green paint and tan leather (leather everywhere even on the backs of the front seats and the map pockets). It ran better than almost anything else made during the malaise era. Alas, the difficulty with keeping the dual carburetors synced and the sketchy automatic transmission spelled a short 4-year tenure for this otherwise outstanding sedan.
Just like the Karate Kid, I gave the car many wax jobs and leather conditionings for the privilege of driving it now and then.
When did these come with the thermal reactors that produced a lot of heat and were troublesome?
1975-
A pity BMW didn’t stick with proper model names after this one-time fling.
“New car? What’d you get?”
*”BMW 325i”*
“Is that the name or the plate number?”
The BMW naming system is quite good, actually.
Or at least it was when the 325 in your example meant 3 series and the 2.5 was the engine cc.
Pretty logical.
If others don’t want to know or can’t learn.
Then they don’t NEED to know
It was the late sixties as a pimple-faced teenager that I discovered BMW automobiles at a little dealership. Captivated by the beauty of the CS Coupe, I soon gained a respect for other models including the 2500, 2800. very few of those were seen around town however.
I thought the Bavaria was a nice, understated model properly proportioned and tastefully designed on the inside. Because BMW promoted itself as “The Ultimate Driving Machine” and was capable of fun in the twisties also held some appeal.
Any Bavarias I’ve spotted for sale command top dollar if they are decent. I would certainly put one in my dream car garage.
A really nice example. I see older BMWs occasionally around L.A., but I don’t think I’ve seen an E3 in recent memory.
Was leather actually standard on the 2800? I thought it was a standalone option, as was power steering. (The latter is a real reminder of how much of a cultural divide there was between these cars and big U.S. luxury cars of the time — you paid extra for a lot of stuff on an early ’70s Cadillac, including a radio, but by god, you got power steering and automatic transmission!)
The Bavaria was essentially a 2800 without leather, PW, alloys and the Nivomat Boge self-leveling rear suspension. I was a tag-along when Dad went shopping for a used E3 for Mom. She had my granddad’s hand-me-down ’65 Cadillac and hated it. She wanted a W108. Dad suggested a less expensive Fintail thinking a Benz was a Benz but no dice. Mom could see the difference.
The budget was about $4,500. The used 2500 we test drove fit the bill but was really disappointing. It was white with a red vinyl interior and looked like a taxi inside. I remember Dad commenting about the truck-like non-power steering and lousy A/T. I absolutely loved the look of the 2800 with its new-for-’70 shark face but those were way out of our price range even used. They finally found a navy blue ’69 280SE which ended up being a terrific car.
You are so right about power steering and A/T — the lack of PS on the 2500 was the deal breaker for us. The company learned quickly from its mistakes and I’m pretty sure all Bavarias came with PS. Max Hoffman always seemed to know what would work in America. In the 50s he convinced Mercedes to make a road-going version of the Gullwing and Porsche to make the Speedster.
I recall seeing these very rarely in the 80s in the midwest. I agree with some earlier comments that BMW was one of the most successful ever in sticking to a gentle but constant evolution in styling. There is no way anyone would mistake this for anything but a BMW, even after 40 years.
I could be wrong, but wasn’t the Bavaria name only used for North American sold cars? Weren’t international sold cars given the E3 name, or the 3.0S or 3.0SI?
Yes only in North America, like the Renault Le Car. “Bavaria” came in 1971 and went away after 1974. Not sure why they didn’t stick with it until the end of the model’s run. Probably because they knew the 5-series wouldn’t need any help. It launched in 1975.
I don’t know. These are perhaps the best looking BMWs I’ve ever seen. 🙂
Thank you for mentioning Jackie O and her Bavaria. No good article about this car can seem to be written without giving her a nod. I’m such a sucker for this car, and the Kennedy’s for that matter. Great find.
I don’t know why BMW didn’t keep the Bavaria name after 1974. Although I could’ve done without the fuel injection that were, from what I’ve been told, not very reliable, I would’ve taken the rest of the car. 🙂
Bavaria listed @ $4,995, deutschmark went thru the roof & BMW was forced upmarket, bargain e3 became loaded 3.0 Si. That became redundant when BMW consolidated their line into the original 3, 5, 6, 7.
I was going to post a pic in the article but figured everyone had seen, Paul posted it in his fab Lincoln Continental piece. But here it goes for any new readers. It’s a great pic but I always had a problem with the short wiper blades. In the R&T article Paul posted today they mentioned that. Jackie had the 3.0S with the super cool rear headrests.
she was a woman of good taste for sure !
Emerson Fittipaldi drove one of these during his Formula One years in the 1970’s. Well, at least I think he did, I’ve seen a promo picture of him stood next to one.
As a kid who like cars in the 70s, before I could drive, I liked lots of “sporty” cars (though my definition was broad and I wasn’t old enough to drive!).
BMWs were among the cars I liked. I liked their looks, but what set them (and other selected foreign cars, like Porsches, Saab 99s, Audi Fox, VW Scirocco) apart was that, as I read car magazines, I found they were quick and fuel-efficient.
With the American cars I liked, you could have power, but no efficiency.
Tom
I’ve probably seen this car before; I drive by that corner (Arroyo and California) several times a week. Love the E3s, but the 3.0CS is probably my all-time favorite BMW. There’s one of those that I see around Pasadena a lot as well–it’s frequently parked in front of the liquor store on South Fair Oaks (I think it’s the store owner, not a customer!). With the current 3-series as common as Civics in SoCal, it’s good to see a Bavaria still being driven regularly. (And yes, the name is a little odd.)
Yes on Arroyo a week ago. The car is in amazing shape, especially the paint. The only rust I saw was below the wiper on the right side, you can see it in the article.
What an agonizing decision to have to make if you owned this car — 1. Let it rust, 2. Fix it when the windshield is out for repaint, or 3. Take out windshield, fix the rust and reinstall, without repainting the car.
With 2. you lose the original paint. With 3. you feel like an idiot. I would go with 3. and try really hard to spot in the repair.
I just don’t see how this car can look as nice as it does for very long daily-driving it like that and parking wherever. Maybe it’s not as nice as it looks or has mechanical woes. I really hope the owner chimes in on what they plan to do with the car and how they got it. I don’t have the room or money right now otherwise I would have left a note.
i had a friend who drove one of these to high school in the late seventies. i think he made a deal with his parents to pick up and drop off his father at the train station everyday. i was completely in awe of the car. a lot of the kids were put off by the automatic transmission but i thought it matched the character of the car. this was a four door grand tourer. i imagined having one of these in my driveway next to a 2.5cs with a stick. cars really were cooler back then…
Another kinky Bavaria model. With Euro-spec bumpers.
I like how you think.
Cheers !
I’ve always loved the style of these cars…they got the design just right for a grand tourer, and a marvelous contrast to the dignified, upright Mercedes design. Both are beautiful but in completely different ways.
Definitely rare though–I’ve only seen one as far back as I can remember. There was a grass green Bavaria running around Durham, NC back in 2010-2011. Never got a photo of it, or even saw it in motion, but I did see it parked in various locations/parking lots so I know it was a runner. Kind of rough shape but still a very cool ride. Nowhere near as nice as the featured CA car!
Nice. I always liked these better than the Mercs of the same vintage. These always looked like cars that would make any trip a tribute to the sheer fun you can have driving. They were, like any well designed and crafted tool, a natural extension of your own abilities.
I see ads for BMW 2500/2800 and Bavarias every once in a while but I have not seen one for a 3.0Si for a very long time. I wish I could find one in great condition in my part of the world.
I remember when I was a kid in the 70s I saw many E3 driving around in Germany with the “bavaria” badge attached to their trunk lids.
Back then I never knew that this was actually a model name for the US market.
I always assumed that this type of after market badge should just display the driver´s pride of being a Bavarian himself or his love of Bavaria or all things Bavarian. I found it rather stupid in any case. But those were the days when cars litterally were covered with all kinds of badges and stickers.
Worked for a BMW dealer back when these cars were new. The 2500 and 2800 were nearly sale proof. They were both very expensive. The 2500 was pretty bare-bones. The 2800 was much better equipped, but in strange ways. The new Bavaria was much better equipped than a 2500, looked nicer than a 2800, was spared the troublesome Nivomat self-leveling rear suspension, and was cheaper than either. Then came the 3-liter engine. We thought it was the bomb, and it sold fairly well.
Not a reliable machine, though. The Borg-Warner automatic transmission shifted erratically and with terrific jerks. Those transmissions were good for about 35,000-50,000 miles. At high road speeds the pre-74s were want to spit up transmission fluid onto the hot exhaust manifold, causing terrible underwood fires that were not apparent to the driver until catastrophic damage was well underway. The engines overheated constantly. The brakes squealed pitifully – you could hear a Bavaria coming blocks away. The trunk lid hinges failed repeatedly because they were designed to support only the trunk lid, whereas American versions had a heavy tool kit attached to the underside of the lid. The bodies had a distressing predilection to rust. Accelerator pumps in the twin carburators were a constant headache. The outside mirror glass was ever anxious to part company with the mirror body, throwing itself onto the asphalt at every opportunity. The differentials howled. The 3-muffler exhaust rotted out prematurely. The radiator fan clutch was a Rube Goldberg contraption that required endless fiddling. The wiper arm pivots disassembled. The batteries…oh, the trouble we had with those damn Varta batteries! The two-stage paint delaminated; the clear coat peeled off in sheets and streamers. The trunk lock cylinders failed. Wheel cap emblems, themselves stylized representations of a spinning propeller, unstuck themselves and flew off into the weeds. Plastic interior trim pieces broke, and replacements of the same color were apparently unknown in Germany. Cylinder heads cracked and warped. Intake manifolds warped at the carburator mounting flange, creating intake air leaks and lean running. The air conditioning was marginal on its best day.
All that said, the cars were sensational to drive when operating correctly, and were gorgeous, too. Very expensive to buy, even more expensive to maintain, and I’m pretty sure nobody ever bought a second one.
Wow Rob! You seem to have an amazing memory given the fact, that these cars were on sale some 40 years ago.
Which were the bestselling BMWs back at the time at your dealership?
2002s by a country mile. Could have sold twice as many as we did, easily, but they were always in short supply.
Jason was wondering if E3s are harder to keep roadworthy than a similar Mercedes, I guess that answers that question. Wow! Forget what it would take to keep an old E3 on the road today, it sounds like that wasn’t possible even when they were new.
I knew about the overheating and A/C issues but not about the others. I heard the ZF A/T that was used in the early years was “miserable” and didn’t want to ever use its 2nd gear. Didn’t know the BW unit had problems too. Thanks for filling in the blanks Rob.
I was not able to confirm with any data that E3 sales increased after the Bavaria was introduced but it sure felt that way from what I saw on the road, appreciate the confirmation. How frustrating that must have been for BMW — they get the car completely sorted on naming, appearance, price and spec, give it the 3.0 in ’72 and it has just two good years before bumpers hit in ’74 and then thermal reactors in ’75.
Still I love the Bavaria and hope to test drive one some day. I hear they are nice classic cars to own with a later model engine swap, which apparently is the only way to fully deal with the cooling issues. I think E3s (of any year) are much more attractive than the 7-series that followed.
Another good example of a clean 60s design that got fat and bloated in the 70s. Come to think of it the W116 was pretty chunky compared to the W108.
I really enjoyed this article. It brought back fond? memories of my 74 Bavaria. An E3 is not the car to own here in the Pacific NW. They are prone to rust…everywhere. Yes, I bought it used from a business acquaintence who immediatly left town when my check cleared. The second gear bearings made an awful noise but eventually I found a shop that would work on it. I took out a loan for that repair. The four wheel disc brakes were cool tho. 4 pistons per caliper x 4 wheels x $40 for each one..well, thats some dough too. Sending them out of town to a foreign car specialist..priceless. I never could get the sunroof to seal well, but since it only leaked when it rained that wasnt too bad. The trunk badges were highly prized and I replaced a number of them, They were curved and that, it seems, made them exotic (read expensive). The fan clutch siezed. I couldnt afford a new one so learned to enjoy the direct drive feature. Even the key was special. It had little holes drilled everywhere, even on the edges. When I gave my key # to the dealer for a copy it was scary when they said one couldnt be made. But for all of that and more, I really loved the big window sedan. It rode beautifully and at 90mph, it wasnt even breathing hard. The 3 liter twin zenith engine really performed and it was a blast to drive. I often wish I still had it, but to do it justice mucho $$$ was needed for a restro and I just couldnt swing it. I have only seen one since, being driven by a Jackie O kinda gal. Both were beautiful.
I used to know someone who had a BMW Bavaria. I believe his was a 1973 Bavaria. It had a 3 spd automatic, it had room for 4 adults comfortably. At the time, I found it more attractive than the earlier 2002, with the circle taillamps.
Luv my greenhouse with park benches!
When I was working on them in the ’70s and ’80s, there was a ‘gold-rush’ business in yanking off or collapsing the 5-mile bumpers.
BUT, when the opportunity came 25 years ago to acquire a 1974 E3 all original (even paint!), I jumped!
One other issue to add to the list is getting the center u-joint changed… it’s so tiny! But, overall, I do NOT regret this comfy, reliable, and responsive sport sedan!
I tried to purchase a used Bavaria in 1985. They were still available near Boston then, but not so much in the suburbs. Most of them were automatics, didn’t shift too well and leaked tranny oil. They were mostly 3.0S cars, were well appointed and similar to a mid sized US sedan in size. I bought a 1976 530i instead w/a 4 sp manual, and after the required cylinder head exchange at ~130K miles (Thermactor effect), Stahl headers and a SS exhaust, the car performed flawlessly until 1994 (315K miles) when it was totalled by a snowplow coming out of a driveway. Most of the Bavaria’s came carbureted, while the 530’s had L Jetronic EFI. Had some injector problems and replaced them all along with the fuel pump and all the rubber fuel lines, but no brain box/AFM problems. I kept after the underside and inner fenders/rocker panels with rust converter/Duplicolor black, so rust issues were minimized. Still had the original clutch at 315K. I’m 70 now, but would love another chance at a Bavaria 3.0S with a 4 speed. Maybe after the covid thing subsides.
I was raised next door to Pasadena in San Marino. You would only see Bavaria’s in Pasadena or La Jolla. It’s like they weren’t allowed to leave the city limits.
I think these BMWs shared many issues such as Rob has told us with similar cars of that era. Well, there is one extra point: After ten years the valve stem seals had hardened and so the engines began consuming much oil. Driving downhill at closed throttle you would smell and see a blue oil smoke cloud behind the BMW.
So there is a word explaining the colors of wheel cover emblems: White sectors for cracked heads producing a white coolant cloud, and blue sectors for the said oil smoke clouds!
My neighbor had one of these and the shark kept biting his purse badly until corrosion ate up the floor panels!
A friend’s mom had a Bavaria, a ’71 or ’72. It didn’t have the dark grill, more of a brushed aluminum look. I got to drive it once or twice; this was before I was really comfortable with a manual shift so I didn’t really “drive” it with much spirit.
This car re-oriented all my automotive preferences. It was roomy and comfortable, rode and handled well, was quick, had a great exhaust note, and got gas mileage in the 20’s. Basically it was everything the cars of our family at the time (Bonneville, Country Squire) were not.
For years, BMW’s were my “goal” car, but by the time I could afford one I was disappointed with the image of the “typical” Bimmer owner, and in many ways the cars had shifted from being exciting and efficient to being luxury-focused. The yuppies made them popular, but they also eroded the brand.
My dad’s younger brother was always buying interesting cars. If I came home and there was a car that I didn’t recognize in the drive uncle Pete was probably visiting. When I was at university he got a Bavaria. It was quite a car, but I remember going for a drive and discovering that the turn signal stalk was on the right and the wipers on the left. Very strange. At every corner I turned on the wipers.
A couple of years later my boss returned from a long project in Europe and he brought back a 3.0Si. Very similar but very top of the line. I did not get to drive it but I had many rides in it. It was very nice.
The E3 was the first model to popularize the Hofmeister kink, at least in the US. Yes I know the 1500 sedan from 1961 had it first
Nope, the 3200 CS coupe had it first. Such a beautifully proportioned car.
I had a 74 Bavaria as a daily driver in the early 90’s. Back then, they were absolute dirt cheap to buy, and were hard to resist compared to 2002’s which tended to be more expensive, used up, and even rustier.
Mine didn’t so much “over” heat as run on the hot side under certain conditions, especially city traffic. If anything that was worse than just straight-up overheating, because if it is hot but not in the temp gauge red zone, you put up with it longer. I think the running hot doesn’t help the automatic trans, and mine started having trouble with the 1-2 shift when cold.
The automatics could have benefited from an overdrive or different final drive gearing. I was running 3000 RPM at 60 MPH, which seemed unnecessary and was noisy. (I’ll admit, I am partial to American V8 barges that loaf along in top gear).
In the 90’s, current BMW styling was still similar enough that many people thought my car was much newer than it was. That was a mixed blessing, as the perception in some circles of new BMW owners as tools was already extant.