Poll a group of BMW enthusiasts about the best generations of 3 Series and you’ll hear a lot of E30s, E46s, and maybe even a few E36s sprinkled in there. Maybe an E90 or two. But you’ll hear very few, if any at all, mention the E21. It often seems like the forgotten 3 Series and is usually overshadowed by its legendary predecessor, the BMW 2002. However, the E21 is a great reminder of what BMW used to do so well: simplicity. And this specific 1977 BMW 320i that’s currently for sale on Bring a Trailer is like a time capsule back to those simpler times.
With only 9116 original miles on the odometer, this E21 is basically brand-new. It’s a U.S.-market car, originally sold in Boulder, Colorado, so it has those Jay Leno chin bumpers, and it’s being sold in California with a Montana registration. While it’s bone stock, it did have some maintenance done in 2022, including a new valve cover gasket, a new thermostat, new drive belts, and new Kumho Solus tires. Still, with just over 9000 miles, it’s as fresh as the day it was born.
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Under that sharknose hood is BMW’s legendary 2.0-liter naturally aspirated “M10” four-cylinder engine. With just 110 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque, the 320i was never the quickest car but it was more than quick enough to be fun. Plus, M10s always sound so good. This 320i has a manual transmission as many gears as it does cylinders, 13-inch wheels, and disc brakes up front. It’s also a fantastic color spec, with Fjord Metallic blue exterior and black interior.
Just look at that interior, though. It almost seems like it comes from a different brand than the BMW’s of today. Obviously, tech has moved on, so I don’t want to sound like an old man yelling at clouds. But it isn’t the tech that makes new Bimmers so different, it’s the focus. There were lavish and extravagant interiors in the ’70s, too, but not in BMWs. Instead, they had the simplest of gauges, climate and radio controls that were easy to read and use, and an interior entirely designed around the driver. BMW hasn’t had simple gauges in a decade and the newest of them have a thin screen that spans the entire dashboard instead. Driving an E21 will remind you of when BMW did driver-focused cabins better than anyone, and this specific E21 is so fresh that it’ll make you feel like you were there when it was happening.
