The BMW 3 Series first appeared in 1975 with the E21 model, which replaced the seminal 02 Series and remained in production until 1983. Built only in 2-door form – as a saloon or convertible (by Bauer) - the model was available with both 4 and 6-cylinder engines and helped cement BMWs reputation for well-engineered and well-built cars.

In 1982 a revised 3 Series was introduced – the E30 model. This built upon the success of the outgoing E21, expanding the range of cars made to include a 4-door saloon and (Touring) estate. The use of 4 and 6-cylinder powerplants continued although naturally enough, these were further developed and refined to include greater use of fuel injection and make more power. The E30 remained in production until 1994, undergoing a number of mild revisions in the process – to both its visual appearance and mechanical specification - together with the creation of a number of special edition, sporting models, such as the M3 and Alpina. In all, over 2.4 million examples of the popular E30 model were built.

First registered in August 1990, this E30 325i Cabriolet model has spent the majority of its life in the UK, before being acquired by a new Guernsey-based owner in 2022 and being re-registered in the island in April 2023. We have relatively little detailed history for the vehicle, although the last entry in the service book in June 2008 shows 46,351 miles and the last MOT test certificate (April 2022) shows 52,630 miles. Given its current very good condition, it seems reasonable to conclude it will have had some renovation work during its life, but we have no documentation in support of this. Since moving to Guernsey, the Cabriolet has had very sparing use, with a recorded mileage still under 54,000.