1987 BMW 325i Cabriolet
Registration no. D775 PAG
Chassis no. 80875197
Engine no. 23274015
•Six-cylinder model
•Rare cabriolet model
•Automatic transmission
•Single family ownership 1987-2020

Footnotes:
'In launching the 3 Series cars, BMW were quietly confident that they had got their sums right. The model range was extensive, with broad appeal, and built to the same high standards as the more exotic BMWs. With the debut of the Bauer-bodied cabriolet, with its distinctive roll-hoop, the appeal of the range was extended further.' – Laurence Meredith, BMW Model by Model.
BMW revised its passenger car engine policy for the 1980s, introducing small-capacity sixes in preference to enlarged fours, having found that the latter could not be made to match the former for smoothness. There were other benefits too, the new 1,990cc six proving more flexible, more powerful and more economical than the superseded four of identical capacity. The chassis was upgraded to cope with the improved performance, gaining disc brakes all round and wider tyres, thus endowing the 320 six with an enhanced sporting 'feel' when compared to its four-cylinder predecessor. Larger 3-Series sixes followed.
BMW's popular 3-Series was face-lifted for 1983 and given improved rear suspension, four-door versions arriving at the same time, and then a few years later the range-topping 2.3-litre 'six' was replaced by a similar but more powerful '2.5'. 'Strong in the tradition of rear drive excitement,' according to Performance Car magazine, the 325i cost £11,495 in basic, two-door configuration, but for those with deeper pockets there was a host of desirable 'extras' available, including alloy wheels. Solidly built and well engineered in the best BMW tradition, the 325i represented a lot of performance for the money with its sub-8 second 0-60mph time and 135mph top speed.
A reluctant sale caused by an unexpected and pressing need for space, this Baur Cabriolet was a personal import in 1987 and remained in the same family ownership until two years ago. The current odometer reading is 148,000 kilometres (approximately 92,000 miles) and the car has seen little use in recent years. It presents very well in every respect and the vendor reports that it drives superbly. Finished in red with black leather interior, this example of an increasingly rare 'Youngtimer' is offered with an original handbook; a V5C document; MoT to September 2023; and a large history file detailing works carried out over the years, including the replacement of the camshaft and associated belts in 2020. A new battery has just been fitted.