Would You Pay $42,900 for a Brand New 1992 BMW 325i Cabrio with Only 237 Miles?

As an avid fan of BMW's E30 3-Series, you can understand my enthusiasm after discovering a virtually brand-new 1992 325i with a mere 237 miles or 381 kilometers on the odometer, while surfing on eBay last night following an exhaustive coverage of the Detroit Auto Show – what can I say, I love cars…

Sure, it was the less desirable convertible (albeit fitted with a automatic manual transmission), but how often do you find an E30 these days with virtually no road time?

But as with many other things in this life, the first two seconds of enthusiasm were followed by disappointment upon looking at the Arizona seller's asking price of…$42,900 (€32,200 at the current exchange rates).

I don’t know why and how the car ended up being garaged for more than two decades, but the seller says that during this time, it was "covered throughout its life".

Naturally, we all know that when a vehicle remains unused for such a long period, many things can and will start to break or go bad. The current owner of the 325i Cabriolet says the car recently underwent service to fix these issues, and which are listed in detail below. Whether everything was addressed, is another story, for the car's future buyer to find out.

As for the asking price, true, it is extremely rare to discover a virtually unused BMW E30, but the 325i Cabriolet isn't a special model in any way. Even if it was a 320iS (the M3's less potent brother made for Italy and Portugal) or a 325iS with a stick shift, I doubt someone would pay $40k for it. A couple of months ago, I remember finding an extremely rare left-hand drive 320iS with the much sought after M Technic aero and styling package with around 50,000 miles and in pristine condition for about $19,000 in the UK (worldwide delivery).

If you want another example, do you remember the 1991 BMW 850i with a six-speed manual and only 11,440 miles or 18,407 kilometers that was up for sale on eBay with an asking price of $47,500? That was in July of 2012. Fast forward to today, and the same seller has dropped the price to $33,500…

By John Halas

1992 BMW 325i Convertible eBay Description

ONLY 237 ACUTAL MILES!!!  This gorgeous 325i convertible is in mint condition impeccably restored with all original or BMW genuine parts.  It looks and drives like it just left the showroom.

This unique car is a BMW enthusiast’s dream.  It was one of the last E30 convertible models produced in December 1992.  It has been stored in a garage and covered throughout its life.  The original white paint and exterior are flawless.  The original power convertible black top is in amazing condition, raising and lowering smoothly, and with a crystal clear rear window.

The interior is beautifully maintained with perfectly conditioned leather.  The condition of the dash and center console appear like new.

The original tan BMW floor mats are in great condition.  They are near impossible to replace as BMW has discontinued production.  I have included black genuine BMW mats to be used and kept the tan mats bagged to be included as well.

The trunk is spotless and looks as though it has never been touched with the original jack and tool kit included as well as full size spare tire.

The engine compartment and undercarriage of the car are in amazing condition.  In fact the original rust preventative Cosmoline applied at the BMW factory is still present.

The tires are brand new Falken 195/65 R14 complete with a full size spare.

I have replacement BBS hubs that originally came with the car at the time of delivery and four brand new genuine BMW hubs made for the original wheels.

All original manuals and binder included.  E30 3 series service manual included.  All 325i convertible brochures available from the late 80s and 90s are included as well.  All service documentation included.

Services performed on the car in the last quarter of 2012 include:

Timing belt replaced

Genuine BMW oil filter and oil replacement

Clutch fluid replaced

Brake flush

Coolant flush

Windshield washer fluid replaced

Genuine BMW shock resistant convertible battery replaced

Replaced microswitch for automatic top

Fuel tank inspected and in excellent condition

Spark plugs in excellent condition

Brake pad calipers in excellent condition

BMW recalls performed

Just passed Arizona emissions without difficulty

This is an extraordinarily rare automobile with only 237 original miles and in mint condition.  It is a collectors dream or a perfect addition as a weekend convertible

PHOTO GALLERY

---