BMW · 1986–1991
M3 (E30)
Manual · RWD · Germany
AutoIndex value · good UK car
£65,000
Researched from UK sold prices and auction results. How we value cars
Estimated price by condition
Project
£39,000
Restoration candidate
Driver
£65,000
Good usable example
Concours
£97,500
Show standard
Indicative condition bands · not a valuation of a particular car
Price check
Looking at a M3 (E30) for sale? Is it a good price?
Buyer’s notes
About the BMW M3 (E30)
The E30 M3 was built to win touring car races. BMW needed 5,000 road cars to homologate it and kept building them until 1991, 17,970 in all, every one left-hand drive. Flared wings and arches, a raised boot lid with its spoiler, and the high-revving S14 four-cylinder engine make it a different car from the 3 Series it resembles.
What moves the price
- Evolution models: the Evolution I, Evolution II and Sport Evolution sit well above the base car.
- Originality: unmodified cars with their original panels are worth a clear premium, as many were raced or altered.
- Condition: there are enough base cars on the market that condition and history decide the price.
Before you buy, check
- Rust in the sills, floors and rear wheel arches.
- The car’s identity against BMW records, as replica M3s built from ordinary 3 Series exist.
- A documented service history for the S14 engine, a specialist unit that is expensive to rebuild.
From our research for BMW M3 · The E30 Generation, which covers it in full.
Vehicle data
Specifications
1986–1991
Performance
Production
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Follow what your M3 (E30) is worth
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AutoIndex Editions · Volume IV
Read the full BMW dossier
BMW M3 · The E30 Generation — 39 pages of history, production data, ownership economics and the market view, car by car.
Our analysis
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BMW M3 (E30): value questions answered
- How much is a BMW M3 (E30) worth?
- A good, usable UK example of the BMW M3 (E30) is worth around £65,000 on the AutoIndex index. A project car that needs restoration is nearer £39,000, and a concours-quality example around £97,500. Condition moves the price more than anything else.
- What makes one M3 (E30) worth more than another?
- Service history and paperwork — complete, stamped, explained
- Mileage against the norm for the model
- Originality — matching numbers, original paint and trim
- Specification — gearbox, colour, factory options
- UK-supplied versus imported
- Is the M3 (E30) I'm looking at fairly priced?
- Enter its asking price and condition in the price check above. It compares the price with the index for that condition and tells you what to ask the seller about.
- How many M3 (E30) cars were built?
- Around 17,970 were built, by our production records.
- Is there a buyer's guide to the M3 (E30)?
- Yes: BMW M3 · The E30 Generation, a 39-page collector’s guide. You can read a complete dossier free before you buy it.
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