You’ve probably heard of the saying “they don’t make them like they used to”. Well, now is your chance to buy a 32-year-old car that has barely been used. It’s an E30, the first BMW 3 Series to come with a diesel engine. It’s not the original 324d, but rather the more potent 324td equipped with a Garrett turbocharger.

The 1990 3er diesel sedan was ordered from a dealer in Berlin prior to being shipped to Poland where it spent most of its time in a garage. With only 7,100 kilometers (4,350 miles) on the clock, this 324td has to be one of the lowest-mileage E30s out there. You can see the car on eBay in its lovely Nautic Green paint on a four-door body in immaculate condition.

The factory-fresh E30 is nicely equipped with front electric windows, air conditioning, an alarm system, and a radio that has never been installed. The person who bought it never really got the chance to truly enjoy it due to illness. His family looked after the 324td all these years, and it remains in an absolutely original condition. The seller goes as far as to say it still smells like a new car on the inside.

How Much Does The 324td Cost?

A veritable time capsule, the 1990 BMW 324td doesn’t come cheap. It’s available on eBay for a hefty €28,000 or about as much as a brand-new 1 Series. Is it worth it? Those longing for the good ol’ days will say yes, but the rest of us would beg to differ. That said, it has to be one of the last opportunities to purchase an E30 in virtually perfect condition.

Not the car in the ad

The tires were replaced in 2017 and a new timing belt was installed some 200 kilometers (124 miles) ago. Those who are unfamiliar with the BMW 324td should know it came with a 2.4-liter straight-six turbodiesel. It produced 115 horsepower (85 kilowatts) and had a healthy peak torque of 220 Newton-meters (162 pound-feet). The full torque kicked in from 2,400 rpm.

The engine sent power to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox to help the 324td reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 11.9 seconds. Flat out, the diesel-fueled 3 Series featuring Bosch injection could reach 116 mph (187 km/h).

It’s a rather rare car to find in 2022 since the 324td doesn’t come up for sale so often, especially with so few miles on the clock. There are much more sophisticated used BMWs you could buy with that kind of money, but we have to admit the 324td is rather charming.

Source: eBay