Preparing a completely new car takes time and costs money. Fortunately, taking shortcuts does not always mean being lazy, and if the results look promising, why not try it? In preparing the E21, components from the 5 Series and engines that BMW had for years proved useful and, thanks to that, the new model was created without spending vast amounts of money.

Production of the first generation of the 3 Series, designated E21, started on the 2nd May 1975, with the first units going on sale in July. What attracted the eye was the elegant two-door body, more modern than that of the 02 predecessor. Drivers wishing to enjoy the spacious interior and good dynamics of the new model had to swallow the bitter pill of price. The cheapest variety, designated the 316 cost 13980 marks, which at the time was a considerable amount for a car in this class. Time has shown that having to put a lot of cash on the table did not deter potential customers. Thus began the story of the 3 Series, which successfully continues to this day.

In this case, we are dealing with the BMW 323i. The designation reveals to us that this is a ‘Three’ with a 2,3-litre engine. The letter ‘i’ stands for the fuel-injected unit. This model went on sale in September 1977. Production of the E21 ended in 1982.

The story of the presented car takes us to sunny Italy, where one family drove it all the time. The father originally owned it, then the mother, and eventually the car passed successively through the hands of the three daughters. At the time of purchase in July 2017, the odometer showed 178,000 km. The car was kept in its original and (despite the dings) particularly good condition. When it came to the Bonaventura Classic Collection, the  decision was taken to retrofit it with the accessories it may have come with from the factory. It was completed according to the company brochure, so now it looks as it might have looked in its richest version in 1980, with Alpina look wheels, Recaro seats and Hella halogens. The spoiler did not appeal to the current owner, so it was not fitted in the end.

-It is not just a collector’s car; it is my childhood dream. In those years in my home country only the richest people had such a car. When I hear one of the songs from my childhood mentioning a golden BMW, this is the model that my imagination brings to my mind.

This BMW may not be golden or unique. However, it evokes the golden days of childhood and that makes everything else recede into the background. Such a car could not be missing here, because a BMW collection illustrating the rich heritage of M Motorsport would be incomplete without the most powerful version of the E21. After all, had it not been for its success, there would have been no M3 E30, let alone the DTM. But that is a story for another chapter in this album.