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The first-generation BMW M3 has had collector-car status for a while now, with prices steadily growing as collectors begin to realize what a special driving experience the car can deliver. Clean versions routinely sell for as much as brand-new M3s. But this perfectly kept, 8000-mile example painted in red? It just blew the whole E30 M3 market out of the water.
This M3, a 1988 model painted in Zinnoberrot over tan, just sold for an absurd $250,000 on Bring a Trailer. Yes, that is the correct amount of zeros. It's the most expensive E30 we've ever seen change hands publicly, blowing away prices for even the rarer, more powerful EVO models sold in Europe. Showing exactly 8099 miles on the odometer, the car looks absolutely flawless, with a perfectly reflective red finish, a seemingly untouched interior, and a spotless engine bay. A look at the underside would make you think this car just rolled off the factory assembly line—it's that clean. If any E30 is worth a quarter-million dollars, it's this one.
In preparation for the sale, the seller also made sure to keep maintenance up to date, replacing the crankshaft seal, clutch fork, release bearing, exhaust hangers, exhaust gaskets, timing chain tensioner, clutch slave cylinder, and accessory drive belts. So theoretically, the buyer could get in and accumulate as many miles as they'd like without worry—though we suspect a car original as this will be tucked away in a safe location to accumulate value instead.
Where does the E30 3-Series market go from here? Nowhere but up, we suspect. BMW isn't making any more of these cars, after all, and as more people who grew up when they were new earn enough to spend big money on them, desirability will increase exponentially. And anyone who's looked at non-M E30 prices lately will tell you these aren't the sub-$1000 beaters they once were. Such is life.
Disclaimer: Bring a Trailer is owned by Road & Track’s parent company, Hearst Autos.
Brian Silvestro is Hearst Autos' Lead Deputy Editor for rankings content. He spent over seven years as a staff writer for Road & Track Magazine, and still contributes regularly with car reviews, industry interviews, and more.
He also has a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
