Some cars are instantly cool from the moment they’re launched and the BMW E30 is definitely one of them.

Introduced in 1983 as the replacement for the E21 3-Series, the new model was wider, squarer and perfectly proportioned. It was a triumph of simplicity over excess and a wonderful piece of design. It came as no surprise, then, when BMW converters Baur started to chop the top off early cars to offer them as convertibles, which were sold semi-officially through BMW. 

They were such a hit, though, that after three years of selling conversions BMW decided to go it alone with a factory convertible, introduced in 1986. The E30 soft-top was a sensation, and almost overnight became the car to have for aspiring social climbers.

A facelift came in 1988 and made the E30 look even smarter – less chrome, larger lights and plusher interiors reflecting its growth in stature as a car that gave rise to the compact executive class of car that’s so popular today. 

And that’s what we have here – a 1988 Convertible finished in Cinnabar Red– undoubtedly one of the best E30 colours, complete with black M-Sport leather. It’s a stunner – but more than that, it comes with an incredible history.

Supplied new by Milcars of Watford, the original owner of the 325 paid £20,867 for the car – a tidy sum in 1988. 

The gentleman in question was a solicitor in Hertfordshire and for the first three years the car was registered to his business, but in 1991 was transferred to his private ownership, still with the same surname and at the same address. He retained the car until 2012, keeping every single invoice and receipt, as well as all tax and insurance documents. The history of this car is incredible – it’s simply all there. Everything. There’s even an amusing exchange between a tyre manufacturer and the owner, where he flexes his legal muscles over a faulty tyre they supplied and inevitably wins…

In 2012, it passed to another local lady owner who kept it until earlier this year, having a lot of work done to the car including a full respray in the original colour.

It has just passed an MOT and had over £1,500 spent on repairs to the power steering system, a full stainless sports exhaust and a major service.

Inside, the car is spotless. It was supposedly garaged for all of its life, which would explain why there is no fading or cracking to the dashboard – very rare for an E30. The black leather M-Sport seats are superb with barely any wear despite the 167,000 miles the car has covered, all of the controls work as they should and all four electric windows work perfectly.

It’s clear from its appearance that this car has had an extremely high-quality paint job in recent years – the red finish is almost flawless, there’s no rust to be seen anywhere, no runs in the paint, not even a stone chip. It’s a sensational car and is beautifully presented. 

It has black aftermarket BBS alloys – a recent addition -which really suit it. The fabric roof is in excellent order and the chrome and trim is all in top condition. According to the vendor, the underside is also very good and it received some welded repairs a few years ago, which have been carried out to a very high standard and protected.

BMW’s six-cylinder engines are renowned for their tractability and smoothness and this one is no exception – it runs beautifully and fires up easily from cold. It also has a hidden isolator switch for extra security.

It has been impeccable well-serviced for all of its life, most recently a major service in June 2022. It has also had a recent clutch and a brand-new stainless-steel sports exhaust, which delivers a particularly fruity note under hard acceleration. 

We were able to conduct a short test drive of the car and can confirm that it drives very well indeed.

This is about as good as an E30 cabriolet gets. The condition is one thing – and it’s beautiful – but the history is quite another. This car tells its own story, with a record of every single thing it has ever had done. You’ll not find another.