BMW 333i This bright red BMW 333i set a new auction record for E30s in South Africa. Picture: Supplied
Image: Supplied
A rare BMW 333i two-door from 1987 has become, to our knowledge, the most expensive 3-Series ever sold in South Africa.
A bright red example with subtle BMW Motorsport striping went under the hammer at the Creative Rides auction in Johannesburg on Thursday for a staggering R3 million. Bidding had started at R1 million.
Only 210 of these rare South African creations were ever built and Lead Auctioneer Joff van Reenen said it was the only matching numbers 333i that the auction house had ever sold.
Its final price was almost triple the R1.255 million paid for a 333i during a Creative Rides auction held in March 2023.
But that wasn't the only iconic E30 model to fetch over a bar in this most recent auction on Thursday. A pristine 1991 BMW 325i S Evo2 went under the hammer for R1,360,000.
The 333i was created because the first-generation M3 was only engineered in left-hand drive guise, thus making it unavailable to South Africans.
Undeterred, BMW SA teamed up with Alpina in Germany to create a local solution and the end result saw the 3.2-litre straight-six engine from the BMW 733i being shoe-horned into the engine bay of the E30-generation 3 Series.
The engine took up so much space that customers were forced to choose between air conditioning and power steering.
Only 210 examples of the BMW 333i were ever produced.
BMW 325iS The Gusheshe is an icon in local motorsport circles. Picture: Supplied
Image: Supplied
An even bigger legend in local drifting and spinning circles is the 325iS, affectionately known as the “Gusheshe”.
Originally built as a homologation car for Group N production car racing, only 500 of these were ever made.
They sported a 2.7-litre straight-six engine, featuring Alpina modifications, and an output of 155kW was achieved in the Evo2 version.
According to BMW, the 325iS could run from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds, which was truly impressive back in the day, and the top speed was listed at 225km/h.
Creative Rides CEO Kevin Derrick regards the 325iS as one of the great South African collector cult classics of all time.
“Driving an E30 325iS EVO2 in this country is surreal,” Derrick said.
“It turns more heads than any Italian supercar, and a chorus of ‘Gusheshe, Gusheshe’ from fellow motorists and pedestrians follows you down the road."
Also on auction on Thursday were a 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL, 1985 M635 CSi, 1988 M5 (E28) and 2005 M3 CSL (E46), as well as 27 other classics from various brands, including a 1958 MGA Twin Cam and 1940s Cadillac convertible. More details to follow.
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