From the Classifieds: 1981 BMW 323i John Player Special
Restored to pristine condition, this rare JPS-liveried E21 coupe could be yours for $60KAn ultra-rare special-edition BMW coupe from the 1980s has caught our eye this week, but not just because of its gorgeous paintwork.
No, this lavishly restored 1981 BMW E21 323i two-door is build number 28 of just 75 John Player Special models produced.
Released at a time when cigarette companies had relatively free reign when it came to advertising, the JPS special was claimed by BMW to add around $10,000 worth of extra goodies for just $2000 more.
Those include a (then optional) five-speed manual transmission, Bilstein suspension, limited-slip differential, BBS wheels, sports steering wheel, Recaro sports seats and M-Technic spoilers at both ends.
The JPS edition arrived just in time to see out the first-generation BMW 3 Series (1975-1981), before the landmark model was succeeded by the E30 in 1982.
Now, #28 is officially up for grabs on carsales, with an asking price of an even $60,000, making it not only the rarest but priciest E21 currently available on Australia’s largest automotive classifieds website.
Located in southeast Brisbane, the private seller says the JPS special has been subject to a “thoughtful and thorough” restoration and presents “as new in showroom condition”.
The car has 189,000km on the odometer, but the seller promises it’s mechanically A1 and 100 per cent rust-free, with maintenance taken care of by Modern Classic Motorsport.
Companies involved in the ‘no-expenses-spared’ refurbishment are said to include ANNVID (interior retrim), Pennell Paint (body work), Wheelmaster (BBS Mahle wheels), Queensland Chrome (rechroming) and Superior Detail Solutions for the G Technique ceramic coating that creates the Schwarz/black mirror finish.
And it doesn’t end there. The suspension and brakes have been replaced with all-new components, and this example also gets a stroked 2.7-litre bottom-end delivering “plenty more torque”.
The seller says the 323i’s original six-cylinder engine block with matching numbers also comes with the sale, along with all documents and a full vehicle history.
What’s more, the private Queensland seller has two other rare BMW vehicles for sale with a similar asking price – an E30 JPS and an E24 635 CSi with dogleg manual and LSD.
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