Just recently, it was revealed that Barrett-Jackson will be auctioning some vehicles from late Fast and Furious star Paul Walker’s personal collection at no reserve, including not one, but eight BMWs—one motorcycle and seven M3s. Two of those M3s are 1988 and 1991 E30s, but more notably, the other five are 1995 E36 M3 Lightweights, showing that Walker clearly had great taste in cars. The seventh E36 M3 LTW is the rarest of them all, sporting a wingless trunk lid and a livery-free exterior, two key OEM package-specific details that were deleted from factory.
When you take into consideration the fact that BMW only built 125 Lightweight M3s, having five in one place is an incredible feat, and dare we say, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. The rarity of the Lightweight package coupled with some impressive auction results over the past few years are likely to drive strong hammer prices. We’ve seen pristine and low-mileage examples routinely fetch six figures online and in auction, with one famously untouched 100-mile example selling for $154,000 on Bring a Trailer . According to an interview done by Sports Car Market with Eric Keller, co-founder of Ohio-based Enthusiast Auto Group and M car collector, the value of the E36 M3 Lightweight has more than quadrupled since it was first assessed at $25,000 in the year 2000.
Photo via Brian C. Bossert of ABC News Arizona.
With its 240 horsepower S50B30US heart, vibrant motorsport history, and extensive racing pedigree, the E36 M3 Lightweight and its lively personality make it a must-have for any serious BMW collector. With the mindset of a true enthusiast, Paul Walker’s extreme love for the Lightweight package and E36 M3 platform was the reason why he had not one, but six in total during his lifetime. Obviously he saw something special in one of the rarest BMW models in recent history, and the market has since agreed.—Malia Murphy
[Photos via of Barrett-Jackson and Brian C. Bossert of ABC News Arizona.]