This rare 1989 BMW M3 E30 Johnny Cecotto will go under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions, in Coventry, UK, on February 27-28, and is expected to fetch between £30,000 and £35,000.

That’s the US equivalent of $43,500-$50,700 at today’s exchange rates, which is far less than what regular M3s sell for in the States.

Only 505 units were built of the special E30 M3 to celebrate the success of BMW‘s factory racing driver, and none of them were officially imported in North America. 

The one that’s for sale is chassis number 276 and was supplied new to Gibraltar back in August of 1989, in a Misano Red exterior, with Anthracite M-Technic cloth interior, contrasting Bison Black leather and options that included air conditioning, BMW sound system and electric windows.

It was first registered in the United Kingdom, on February 12, 1991, and it had three owners before the vendor purchased it, 9 years later, when its odometer indicated approximately 119,000km (73,943miles).

The car was repainted a few years ago and the wheels were refurbished in April, 2015. For the last 16 years, the same engineer has looked after this BMW M3 and the last checkup was carried out in January.

Besides the vehicle, its future owner will also get 17 MoT certificates, contained within the history file, out of which the latest expires on January 19, 2017. The original unopened first aid kit is still in place and so are the tool kit and warning triangle.

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