The strange Sport Appearance package is on this BMW 325i convertible from 1991. It is now being sold on Bring a Trailer with no reserve price. The auction ends Friday, April 14, early in the morning. You’ve probably dreamed about owning an E30 BMW 3-series convertible like the one for sale on Bring a Trailer, a division of Hearst Autos like Car & Driver. You probably did if you were a yuppie trying to get through M.C. Hammer’s decade. It’s a 325i, which means the car’s first owner paid more to get a BMW inline-six engine instead of the 318i’s slow 4-cylinder engine. It also has an option called “Special Appearance.” This option combines the sporty look of the M-Technic package with the standard 325i convertible’s softer suspension and smaller wheels and tires. People who cared more about their cars’ appearance than their usefulness chose 325i convertibles with the Distinctive Appearance package. So, we respect that this bike doesn’t have five speeds, which is more common. The acceleration of the 168-hp, 2.5-liter, six-cylinder engine is slowed by BMW’s four-speed automatic, but this fits with the car’s design philosophy of looking sportier than a regular 325i vert. The base 325i convertible did have a five-speed manual transmission, but if you were a yuppie trying to get ahead in the 1990s, you wanted your right hand free to hold your big cell phone or built-in car phone. There is no way to switch gears by hand. Only a few 325i convertibles can get the “Different Look” package. Sources say less than a thousand of the BMW compact convertibles with this option were made. Everyone there was of either a white or a black race. Even though this E30 drop top is hard to find, which drives up its value, it is not an E30 M3. In October of last year, a 325i convertible with the Special Appearance option sold for $23,100 on Bring a Trailer, despite the fact that excellent E30 M3s typically sell for well over $50,000. Also, the previous car had about 30,000 fewer miles and didn’t seem to have much rust, while the 325i is said to have rust in the left door jamb. A few spots on this 3-series have been repainted, the top is hard to close, and the seats are getting worn. Even though this car isn’t in perfect shape, it is in good condition for its age. Also, the dealer gives a lot of service records to show that this 3-series got regular maintenance. The E30 3-series 325i convertibles with the Special Appearance option are only some famous cars. Still, if you want to cosplay as a yuppie in a low-mileage BMW 3-series from the late 1980s or early 1990s that is ready to drive, this rare example is probably an exciting and reasonably priced choice.
