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Curated Auction

1991 BMW 318i (E30)

At a Glance

Original Example | ~27 Year Ownership | Room for Improvement

  • Mileage~92,114 on clock
  • TransmissionManual
  • Engine1.8-litre
  • LocationCaterham, Surrey

Curated Auction

We’ve visited this car, taken the images and written the description below - we’ve also verified the seller’s ID and actioned a HPi report - learn more

Curated Auction

We’ve visited this car, taken the images and written the description below - we’ve also verified the seller’s ID and actioned a HPi report - learn more

CURATED AUCTION

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CURRENT BID£1,000
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ENDS IN: 56 Days 12 Hr 51 Min 51 Sec

CURRENT BID

£1,000

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Video #2

Introduction

Alan Stuart
Professional Consigner and Photographer

Delivering pure driving pleasure matched with timeless design and balanced performance - the E30 is a true icon of German motoring.

This BMW 3 series also known as the E30, is a prime example of understated German engineering. With its iconic boxy lines, rear-wheel-drive layout, and driver-focused cockpit, it perfectly embodies BMW’s “Ultimate Driving Machine” philosophy.

As one of the most accessible ways into E30 ownership, the 318i delivers the charm and style of its more powerful siblings, paired with a lightweight, well-balanced chassis that offers a pure and rewarding drive. Introduced in 1982 and produced until 1994, the second-generation 3 Series earned global acclaim for its sharp handling, dynamic balance, and exceptional engineering.

The BMW is a very honest and original example, well loved over its ~27 year ownership with its current keeper. With only limited mileage recently travelled, it has covered under ~2,500 miles in the last ~5 years, has been in the same family for over ~30 years and carries a valid MOT until June 2025. The car would be very well suited as a daily driver, or for someone with a little more time on their hands, it could be a real shining example of a great E30.

This listing was written from information supplied by Alan after meeting Maria the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Video #2

Meet the owner

A real favourite car of the family, we've loved every mile driving it. A lovely 3 Series that will be sorely missed.

Maria bought the car from her father, who had originally received it as a retirement gift from his workplace.

A long-time BMW enthusiast, Maria had owned several models before this one.

Maria's father used the car sparingly during his ownership, and it saw only light use with Maria and her family while they were based in London, where the ULEZ restrictions applied, Maria said, "In 2016, we moved out of the city to an area where ULEZ is no longer a concern, it's only seen slight use even after this".

With the purchase of a newer car, and less time to use the BMW, the E30 reluctantly comes to market with Maria saying, "I'll be really sad to let this one go - as it was my Father's car, it carries many fond memories but we just don't use it as much as we should".

Maria will be happy to answer any questions about her car in the comments section below.

Maria
Vehicle Owner

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EXTERIOR VIDEO
Video #2

Exterior

From its signature kidney grilles to its sporty silhouette, the exterior of the 318i exudes confidence and class.

Wheels and Tyres

The BMW is fitted with 14" steel wheels with BMW logo's on the wheel caps. The wheels look in respectable condition, but we did spot signs of marking to the wheel cap edges.

Fitted with Nankang Econex NA-1's to the front and rear, all tyres show with a spec of 195/65 and dates codes from 2023. The tyres appear to have a good amount of tread left, in line with the limited recent use of the car.

For a more detailed view of the BMW's exterior and a closer inspection of the wheels and tyres, please refer to the photos and videos.

Bodywork

Looking over the BMW on our visit, the car maintains well-aligned panel gaps and all doors, bonnet and the boot open and close well. The 318i has benefited from low usage in recent years, although its age is starting to show in a few areas.

We spotted a small ding in the front bumper on our visit and noted signs of corrosion under the drivers side bonnet section, corrosion on the passenger side scuttle and paint bubbling on the rear of the boot lid.

We've highlighted our observations in more detail through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take the time to look through all the media files for a detailed view of what’s on offer and to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Finished in a lovely coat of Lagoon Green, the paint work looks nice considering its age and shows in even colour across the main bodywork panels overall.

There are signs of its years over the panels where we noted lacquer peel on the bonnet, passenger rear door and boot lid. There were also notes of paint bubbling by the sunroof when we looked over the car.

Again, we have taken high-resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork and paint for yourselves. The images are taken from various angles to provide a comprehensive view of the car. Please take the time to fully assess these high-resolution images and videos to form your own opinion about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The glass on this 318i looked good and in line with the age, we didn't notice any major chips, cracks, or discolouration on our visit.

The door glass was etched with BMW suggesting they are original. The window rubber trim looks good and in line with the rest of the condition of the car. The front and rear lights looked well-maintained. We didn't observe any cracks, chips, or scratches to these during our visit.

Trim around the exterior of the BMW overall showed well, although we noted a small ding in the front bumper. On the interior trim to the drivers side door edge, there were signs that these had lifted previously, so would benefit from correctly re-affixing.

Take a look through the exterior gallery and review video. We take you across all areas of the car as if you were standing there yourself. This way, you can see in greater detail how the car is presented.

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INTERIOR VIDEO
Video #2

Interior

A modern and ergonomic interior from the '90s - dials and switches all within the driver's reach; everything has its place and purpose.

Seats and Carpets

The BMW is kitted out with grey cloth interior, many of the seats in older BMW's have a tendency to wear over the years and this example is no different.

We noted that both front seats had frayed and showed tearing to the fabric. The rear seats showed a similar condition with the addition of sun damage to the passenger side seat. Headrests and seat backs showed a better level of standard. All of the seats would really benefit from being re-upholstered by the future owner.

The main carpet of the interior showed in good condition, looking underneath the mats showed the car had no major concerns. As the car hadn't been used for a while, a clean up of the carpets would be of benefit. Over in the boot, the carpet areas looked good, although we did note there were signs of previous water ingress as there was rust noted on the spare wheel under the main carpet.

We cover the cabin area of the E30 in further detail in our interior review video.

Dashboard

The dashboard is a well designed, driver focused setup. It was apparent that sun damage had caused cracking and splitting to the top of the dash area, which we've highlighted in our video review.

The main facing of the dash was presentable and the instrument clusters are clean and smart, with all the numbers appearing clear and legible. The odometer displayed ~92,114 miles at the time of our visit.

The dials, switches, and controls all appeared to be in good condition, with surfaces appearing free from fogging or scratching.

Our interior gallery section offers a closer look at the BMW's dashboard.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The original, 4 spoke steering wheel shows in a good condition without major wear.

The manual gear stick and gaiter section showed with minimal issues.

We've captured high-resolution photos for you to review and appreciate the condition of the interior in our gallery section.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO
Video #2

Mechanics

Under the bonnet is a 1.8L, four-cylinder engine bringing ~105BHP driving the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission; an ever popular combination.

Engine and Gearbox

Starting up the car from cold, we noted no concerns with the engine. The car idled smoothly especially considering it had not been used for a while. Maria reports that the engine and gearbox are smooth, as you would expect with everything working as it should.

We took the car out on some local roads with Maria, to get a better feel for what this vehicle is all about. During the drive, we went through the motions, shifting through the 5-speed manual gearbox, seeing how the car performed and hearing more from the owners perspective, on the journey out.

Take a look at the mechanical video also, for a closer look underneath the BMW and an overview of the engine bay.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks, bangs, or issues from the suspension when we were on the road, and it gave us no concerns in its performance or handling. The brakes felt nice and responsive, easily bringing the BMW to a stop.

We cover the underside of the car in our 'Mechanical Gallery' section. Head over to our video section, where we've summarised our visit in more detail for you to view for yourself. We take you around the mechanical elements of the car and give you an overview of what's on offer here.

The Drive

The BMW handles well going through the motions out on the road without complaint. The car is a relaxed and comfortable place to be with an inviting ride and balanced level of control.

Gear changes sounded slick and quiet with the steering precise and road-holding felt sure footed. Our on the road video gives an overview of the car on some local roads and how it performs whilst driving.

Electrics and Other

The car has an original Blaupunkt cassette player fitted. All switches, dials, and gauges appear undamaged and in good condition. We noted that in the boot section, the toolkit was also present in the pull down compartment. There is also a spare wheel and tyre located in the boot section.

A sunroof is present, although we weren't able to test this as it hadn't been used for some years.

Maria mentioned that she's seen no issues with the other electrical elements of the car and believes that everything should be working correctly.

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Video #2

History and Paperwork

With ~27 years of current ownership and even longer within the same family, this E30 has covered fewer than ~2,500 miles in the past 5 years.

Having had regular servicing carried out in its earlier days the BMW has also seen works completed on the following notable areas.

The gearbox reverse light switch was changed in May 2023, rust repair treatment was carried out to the rear inner arches, lower rear bumper and drivers side inner arch in October 2023, front discs, pads and wear sensor were replaced in December 2022.

Front driver side door lock, new keys and actuator was updated in April 2021, rear passenger door lock catch in March 2020, fuel pump and sender unit changed in October 2020, ignition lead, distributor cap, new wiper blades, power steering belt and water pump belt updated in August 2019.

A new battery kill switch and handbrake mechanism installed in October 2018, fuel cut off switch in November 2017, new rotor arm and distributor cap in August 2017.

Welding to battery tray was complete in October 2015, new clutch master cylinder brake shoes and brake cylinders August 2015, a door barrel repair carried out in July 2015 and a cam belt replacement actioned in January 2007.

For a full overview of the history of the E30, more details can be found in the paperwork gallery.

Please note Alan our consigner does say in the video it has full service history - this isn't the case after reviewing the paperwork published here.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a history check on the vehicle - this is a professional check operated by HPI that will highlight if the car has been previously stolen, recorded as being in an accident, or have any outstanding finance - note, this does not include a mileage history check.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History
Date Type Mileage
20.06.2024 MOT 92,101
06.10.2023 MOT 92,072
28.09.2022 MOT 91,913
29.09.2021 MOT 91,755
06.10.2020 MOT 89,908
17.10.2019 MOT 87,737
17.10.2018 MOT and Service 85,865
09.11.2017 MOT 83,926
11.10.2016 MOT and Service 81,630
26.10.2015 MOT 80,096
12.08.2015 Service 79,297
09.10.2014 MOT 77,609
08.10.2013 MOT 75,968
11.10.2012 Service 75,967
03.10.2012 MOT 74,135
11.10.2011 MOT 72,174
11.10.2010 MOT and Service 69,938
03.11.2009 MOT 66,348
29.10.2009 Service 66,332
30.10.2008 MOT and Service 64,155
02.11.2007 MOT 62,052
22.01.2007 Service 60,121
01.11.2006 MOT 59,014
03.11.2005 MOT and Service 54,745
05.11.2004 MOT 51,460
05.12.2003 Service 47,343
05.11.2003 MOT 47,230
08.08.2003 Service 46,147
08.11.2001 Service 39,552
24.07.2000 Service 33,197
14.07.1998 Service 17,945
30.03.1998 Service 15,062
24.04.1996 Service 11,136
25.05.1993 Service 2,600
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Key Details
  • Model 318i (E30)
  • Transmission Manual
  • Reg. Date 22.05.1991
  • CC 1,796
  • Mileage ~92,114 on clock
  • Colour Lagoon Green
  • Interior Colour Grey
  • Interior Trim Fabric / Cloth
  • Chassis # WBAAJ52060AD91791
  • Engine # 04427170
  • MOT Yes. Exp 19.06.2025
  • HPi Clear Yes - All Clear
  • Former Keepers 2
  • Tyre Tread Good
  • Tyre Brand Nankang
  • Tyre Age 2023
  • # of Keys 2
  • LHD or RHD RHD
  • Visited Yes
  • Sale Type Private
  • Owned ~27 years, 1 months.
  • Key Feature Long Ownership
  • Vehicle Registration H448 WGK
  • Driver’s Side Right
  • Fuel Type Petrol
  • Body Type 4 Door Saloon
  • Auction ID 2604
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Video #2

All Images

Exterior

Interior

Mechanics

History and Paperwork

All Videos



Vehicle Location

Caterham, Surrey

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    Vehicle Location

    Caterham, Surrey

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