1982 BMW 323i Baur

1982 BMW 323i Baur
Memorial Day 2010 First Drive 1982 323i BMW Baur Lapisblau M20 5 speed #4154 of 4595 made. The car was imported to California by Dietel Enterprises. I have since changed the wheels, installed the clear turn signal lenses, and I am in the process of installing a new cabriolet roof. I have to do something about those bumpers, too. :) I love this car! To see one of the reasons why, check my post "Score One For the Good Guys" on 6/26/2011.

Monday, July 26, 2021

New Find! 1981 320i in Northern California! Baur #2598! One of the 25 US Spec Baurs Officially Imported by BMW to North America!

Thanks to James Dougherty for sending me what appears to be a NEW FIND in Northern California: Baur #2598!  Thank you, James!  

This is a very special Baur:  it is one of only 25 imported by BMW to North America, 22 of which went to Canada!  This is one of the Canadian Baurs!  See attached chart from Baur Guru Jeroen Janssen!






























According to the Baur TC1 registry, 960 of the 4595 BAUR TC 1s have been found. That is 20.89%, 3635 are still missing.


Scroll down this list to find Baur 72598:  that is this Baur!  


Sunday, July 18, 2021

Current BMW 2002 Prices on Bring a Trailer

Thanks to Peter Beren for posting this to the BMW 2002 Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/38681969075/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=10159275877559076 Momentum continues in the collector/muscle car market, and 2002s are not exception. Sedans are up 5% in 2021, while Tiis are up a whopping 30% over 2020 prices. 24 sedans traded hands on bringatrailer.com (out of 31 offered); prices ranged from $8500 for a project/runner on the low end, up to $53,500 for a fully restored 68 1600-2. The average price for a car sold this year was $24,259. On the Tii side, 12 out of 15 cars sold, with prices running from $9900 for a project all the way up to $84,502 for a fully restored, box-stock 72 Tii. The average price for a Tii this year is $47,944, but nice daily drivers can still be had in the upper $30s to lower $40s. The really big number cars are the ones that are largely stock, albeit restored. In the six years that I have been tracking prices on BAT, sedans have increased in value an average of 28% annually. Tiis have increased an average of 39.5% annually. But 2002s are really a tale of two different cars, the Roundies, 1973s and earlier, and 74 thru 76 models, the square tail light models. Among sedans, Roundies carry a $4,723 premium over the later models. Among Tiis, this the premium between Roundies and square tails jumps to $9,523. Transmissions are another factor in pricing; 2002s came standard with 4 speed transmissions. A relative few cars came with a 3-speed automatic. Cars with automatics can expect their price to decrease by $2,400. On the other hand, cars that have had 5 speeds command a $5,400 premium (makes the $1500 asking price for a 5 speed, well worth the investment). Out of 241 sedans tracked over the past 6 years, only two are noted to have dogleg 5-speeds; but hold on to your hat’s boys & girls, those dogleg 5-speeds add $8100 to the value of a 2002 over the average price of a 4-speed car (however, with only two samples in the lot, it may not be statistically significant. Or is it?). Out of my own curiosity, I have been tracking whether or not cars have AC or not. AC adds about $1100 to the value of the car. But that is more driven by local climate (change) and your significant other’s preference. People will ask about the values of the Touring hatchbacks, Cabriolets, and Turbos. There have been only four 2002 and three Tii’s sold. 2002 Touring brings $3375 over the average price of a 2002 sedan; while a tii Touring shows a drop in value of $1300? Again, the available sample is not large enough to fairly judge the market values. More transactions have been recorded for Cabriolets. Over this period, they have traded hands for an average price of $56,000. Proving the old auction adage, if the top goes down, the price goes up. Lastly, Turbos. If you want one of these, you’re going to have to pay up, and pay up big. Average price for a Turbo is $132,575. But really nice ones are now pressing $200k. If you want to do the work, runners can be had for under $100k (if the actually sold for that, that is). Disclaimer: I think I have captured most of the BAT prices, but there are probably a few misses, especially early on. I’m sorry if I missed your car. BAT does not make it easy to consistently check back for particular ones. Oh well, the trends exist. BAT buyer premium of 5% on the first $100,000 is not included. However, those cars that are listed from other auction houses, do include the Buyer’s Premium (some approach 20% now). To those who poo-poo BAT, keep in mind that they hammer approx. 70 cars a day during the week, and another 35 per day on Saturday & Sundays. I estimate that their total thru put is approx. 20,000 cars annually. They have an 85% sell rate. You can see my spreadsheet in the files section of this group. If you use this work elsewhere, please give me credit