BaT Auction: Euro 1974 BMW 3.0CS 5-Speed

This 1974 BMW 3.0CS was built on October 31, 1973 and originally delivered to Kontich, Belgium before being acquired by the seller in Germany in 2019 and imported to the US in 2020. A refurbishment was started during previous ownership, while work commissioned by the seller included a bare-metal repaint in orange, reupholstered black leather seats, and the installation of a five-speed manual transmission sourced from an E12. Power is supplied by a numbers-matching 3.0L inline-six, and additional equipment include a Bosal exhaust, yellow-tinted high beams, 14″ Alpina-style wheels, a Nardi steering wheel, a cassette stereo, and Coco floor mats. This E9 is now offered with a BMW Classics Certificate, service records, import documents, a tool kit, and a clean Georgia title in the seller’s name.

Finished from the factory in Inka Orange, the body was stripped to bare metal and repainted in Germany around two years ago. The weatherstripping was replaced at that time, along with the rear bumper horns and vents on the hood and fenders. Features include yellow-tinted high beam lamps, dual side mirrors, and rub strips along the bumpers. The rear passenger-side window does not roll all the way up.

Silver 14″ turbine-style wheels with Alpina center caps are mounted with 195/70 Vredestein Sprint Classic tires. Braking is handled by discs at all four corners, and Bilstein shocks have been fitted at the rear.

The seats were fitted with replacement padding and recovered in black leather during current ownership. The pedal assembly was also replaced and the console was modified to accommodate the manual transmission. Amenities include wood trim, a wood shift knob, an analog clock, a Bavaria cassette stereo, and Coco floor mats.

A wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel sits ahead of VDO instrumentation including a 240-km/h speedometer and a tachometer with a 6,400-rpm redline. The five-digit odometer shows just over 27k kilometers (~17k miles), approximately 200 of which have been added by the seller. Total mileage is unknown.

The 3.0-liter M30 straight-six was recently fitted with new spark plugs. The factory four-speed automatic transmission was replaced with a five-speed manual transmission sourced from an E12 by German Car Repair of Alpharetta, Georgia in 2021. Work included a resurfaced flywheel, a modified driveshaft and cross member, and a replacement clutch, hydraulic cylinders, u-joints, and rear main seal.

Engine stamping “4320001” matches the number listed on the BMW Classic Certificate shown below.

A Bosal exhaust system is installed, and additional photos of the underbody are provided in the gallery.

The BMW Classics Certificate lists the factory color and a build date of October 31, 1973.

Photos from the repaint are included in the gallery.

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