Classic BMW Cars for Sale

48 listings

Buy & Sell BMW Classics. New listings added daily.

3 Series (13) 6 Series (6) 325i (5) 5 Series (5) Isetta (4) Z3 (3) 2002 (2) Bavaria (2)

BMW has been building the "Ultimate Driving Machine" since 1916. Classic BMWs — from the charming 2002 to the elegant E9 coupes — are known for their engaging driving dynamics and timeless design.

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Houston, TX

1990 BMW 325i

$12,995 190,000 miles

Dealer

United States

1985 BMW 528e

$12,485 103,000 miles

Dealer

United States

1987 BMW 325i

$10,495 214,000 miles

Dealer

United States

1988 BMW Alpina

$32,795 149,000 miles

Dealer

United States

1985 BMW 5 Series

$11,995 237,000 miles

Dealer

United States

1987 BMW 5 Series

$11,495 195,000 miles

Dealer

United States

1991 BMW 3 Series

$15,495 350,000 miles

Dealer

United States

Frequently Asked Questions about Classic BMW

BMW dates its founding to March 7, 1916, when the aircraft maker Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was established in Bavaria, Germany. The BMW name first appeared in 1917, when the aircraft engine builder Rapp Motorenwerke was renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke. In 1922 that company transferred its name and engine business to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, which is why the older firm's date became the official one. The headquarters and main plant are in Munich.

BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke, German for Bavarian Motor Works. The round badge dates from 1917 and kept the circular shape of the earlier Rapp Motorenwerke emblem, filled with the blue and white of Bavaria, the company's home state. The belief that it shows a spinning aircraft propeller came later, from a 1929 BMW advertisement that showed the emblem on the propeller of an airplane.

The first BMW car was the BMW 3/15, a small car based on the British Austin Seven and built under license. BMW entered car production in 1928 by taking over Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, which had been selling the design as the Dixi 3/15. BMW-badged versions followed in 1929. BMW's first in-house design replaced the licensed model in 1932.

BMW is a publicly traded company whose largest shareholders are members of the Quandt family. On December 9, 1959, with BMW in financial trouble, small shareholders at the annual general meeting blocked a takeover by Daimler-Benz, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars. Herbert Quandt then increased his stake and the company recovered. His children Stefan Quandt and Susanne Klatten together hold roughly half of the stock.

The BMW Isetta was a single-cylinder microcar that BMW built from 1955 to 1962 under license from the Italian company Iso, which had introduced the original design in 1953. The whole front of the body was one door, and the steering wheel swung outward with it so the driver could step in. BMW built 161,728 of them.

BMW introduced the 3 Series in 1975 as the successor to the 02 Series, the line that included the 2002. BMW built the first generation, known by its internal code E21, only as a two-door sedan, and 1,364,039 were made through 1983. The second generation, the E30, arrived in 1982 and stayed in production until 1994. It added the first four-door 3 Series, a factory convertible, a wagon and the first M3.

The "e" in 325e and 528e stands for eta, the Greek letter used as the symbol for efficiency. These models used a 2.7-liter version of BMW's M20 inline-six that was tuned for fuel economy and strong torque at low engine speeds instead of high-rev power. The 528e was the North American name for the car sold in Europe as the 525e, and the same engine also went into the E30 325e.

It depends on the engine. Six-cylinder BMW E30 models such as the 325e and 325i use the M20 engine, whose camshaft is driven by a timing belt, while the older M10 four-cylinder uses a chain. Goodwood's buyer's guide advises looking for evidence of regular belt changes on the six, and Classic & Sports Car says it is best to replace the water pump at the same time.

The 48 BMW listings on Classic Cars Arena right now are priced from $5,495 to $119,995, with a median asking price of $15,648. These are the prices sellers are asking today, not sale prices, and the figures change as cars are listed and sold.

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Classic BMW Cars for Sale

1983 BMW 320I

1994 BMW 850CSI

1985 BMW 6 Series

1990 BMW 325i

1985 BMW 528e

1996 BMW Z3

1989 BMW 325i

1989 BMW 325i

1987 BMW 325i

1996 BMW 328ic

1987 BMW 325i

1988 BMW Alpina

1991 BMW 3 Series

1958 BMW Isetta

1974 BMW 2002

1957 BMW Isetta

1985 BMW 5 Series

1987 BMW 3 Series

1987 BMW 5 Series

1996 BMW Z3

1958 BMW Isetta

1991 BMW 3 Series

1995 BMW 3 Series

1972 BMW Bavaria

Frequently Asked Questions about Classic BMW

Classic BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine

Most Popular Classic BMW Models