Highlights
- Smart E30-generation BMW 316i in Lux specification
- Acquired by the seller in 1990 and reportedly kept garaged
- Gearbox repaired in 2019
- Supplied with extensive history
- Clean MOT valid until September 2026
The Appeal
The E30-generation BMW 3 Series has long occupied a special place among enthusiasts, admired for its clean proportions, compact dimensions and engaging rear-wheel-drive character. Simple, well-engineered and notably uncluttered by modern standards, it remains one of the clearest expressions of BMW’s traditional small-saloon formula.
By 1990, the E30 was a mature and well-developed model, with the 316i offering an accessible and easy-going route into ownership. In Lux specification, it brought a useful degree of additional comfort and equipment, while the automatic transmission suits the car’s relaxed character and modest four-cylinder engine particularly well.
This example is especially appealing for its unmodified presentation and long-term single ownership, having remained with its first keeper since 1990. Finished in a handsome colour that suits the E30’s crisp, understated shape, it has the look of a car that has avoided the usual cycle of heavy use, modification or reinvention.
There is scope for cosmetic enhancement in due course, but this remains a charming and pleasingly original 316i Lux Auto with an increasingly uncommon ownership history. Usable, approachable and quietly characterful, it offers a rare opportunity to become only its second owner.
Key Information
- Mileage: 100,857 miles (warranted – service history)
- Country of registration: United Kingdom
- Technical inspection status: MOT valid until 10 September 2026, clean pass
- Technical specs: 1.6-litre inline-four, four-speed automatic transmission
- Paperwork: Owner’s book pack, service book, MOT certificate, V5C registration document
Service History
- 09/24 – 100,268 miles – Bosch Service Ross Motors
- 09/22 – unrecorded – Bosch Service Ross Motors
- Unreadable – 98,755 miles – Enfield Garages
- 08/19 – 97,840 miles – Enfield Garages
- 08/18 – 96,231 miles – Enfield Garages
- 09/17 – 94,442 miles – Enfield Garages
- 08/16 – 89,933 miles – Enfield Garages
- 08/14 – 87,320 miles – Enfield Garages
- Unrecorded – 82,013 miles – Enfield Garages
- Unreadable – 79,642 miles – Enfield Garages
- 08/10 – 77,220 miles – Enfield Garages
- 09/09 – 76,715 miles – Enfield Garages
- 09/08 – 75,865 miles – Enfield Garages
- 09/07 – 72,466 miles – Stephen James BMW
- 09/06 – 69,107 miles – Stephen James BMW
- 09/05 – 65,011 miles – Stephen James BMW
- 09/04 – unreadable – Hexagon BMW
- 09/03 – 57,729 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/02 – 53,005 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/01 – 48,718 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/00 – 44,396 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/99 – 37,606 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/98 – unreadable – Hexagon BMW
- 03/97 – 33,384 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 08/96 – 32,354 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/95 – 30,905 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/94 – 26,662 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/93 – 21,017 miles – Hexagon BMW
- 09/92 – unreadable – Hexagon BMW
- 09/91 – 7,072 miles – Stephen James BMW
- 11/90 – 1,300 miles – Stephen James BMW
- 09/90 – PDI – Stephen James BMW
The Detail
- Finished in Calypso Red Metallic over a grey cloth-trimmed interior
- 14-inch alloy wheels
- Equipment includes electric windows and mirrors, and a Panasonic radio-cassette player
- Paintwork imperfections noted, including damage around the nearside wheel arches and scuffing on the bumpers
- Indentations visible on the driver’s door, offside rear quarter panel and boot lid
- Scuffing on the door mirror casing
- Some wear visible on the wheel centre caps
- Hole worn in the upper section of the driver’s seat
- Wear on the carpet mat adjacent to the pedals
- Gearbox repaired in 2019
- Water pump replaced in 2021
- Battery renewed in 2026
- Interior lights currently non-functional
- Replacement keys supplied, though the seller reports an issue with the central locking
- Health check completed in May 2026 after the car had not been driven for several months
- Spare wheel and jack stored beneath the boot floor
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