2001 BMW E46 Alpina B3 – Auction Car of the Week

Now, here at Car & Classic we like to think we come to you from a place of hard earned knowledge, all of which sits atop a wealth of experience gained by everyone who works here. We like to think, then, that when we bring a car to your attention that you should consider buying, we’re doing so with plenty of solid consumer advice. We would never, for example, tell you to buy a car purely because of the colour. Unless that car was an E46 Alpina B3 in a frankly stunning shade of Violet Blue. Which, funnily enough, is exactly what we have here. Yes indeed, you should buy this car just because of the colour. Look at it. Drink it in. Feel its violety, bluey glow warm your soul.

If you still need swaying – which is fine, because we wouldn’t expect you to bid based solely on a colour – then worry not. While the colour is indeed magnificent, so is the rest of the car. A glorious celebration of what Alpina can do when the ordering customer is brave enough, this car is laden with history, it’s unencumbered by high miles (it’s done a mere 83k over the course of its life), it has full history and if you thought the ‘one of four’ rarity of the colour was exciting, the interior with its ‘one of one’ Birch trim and the purple carpet that only this car, number 24, and car 129 were fitted with. The E46 might be a reasonably common sight, but this B3 version is not like the others. It’s a beacon of uniqueness. A celebration of vibrant hues and bold choices. As you may have guessed by now, we somewhat love it.

And it’s no slouch. This B3 is not the home of the oft seen 2.o in normal factory cars. No, this one is a 3.3 straight-six with 276bhp and 247lb ft being driven through the rear wheels care of a slick automatic transmission. It’ll get to 60 in 4.2 seconds, which is fast, even by modern standards. And while the convertible body may lack the torsional rigidity of the coupe, it’s still pretty taught and nimble. Sure, this car is more of a long-distance cruiser, but if you want to press on though the bend, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a BMW after all, and when has BMW ever made a car with bad handling?

This car, number 24, is a rare find. It would be a rare find if it had been ordered in black with black leather. The fact that original owner chose something more thrilling and exciting for this B3 makes it something else altogether. It’s a celebration of the bespoke, a glistening beacon of how special a car can be if you throw caution to the wind. The colour, the trim, the must-have big Alpina alloy wheels. It all adds up to being a stunning machine. And thanks to that well-maintained, low mileage 3.3 engine, it’s also a sure fire riot to drive, too. And it’s a four-seat convertible, so it’s something the whole family can enjoy. Seriously, what’s not to like? Summer is coming, and this is most definitely one of the best cars from which to enjoy it.

We can’t guarantee you’ll find many more violety-blue ones, but here’s the place to look for a similar BMW 3 Series E46 for sale.