Here’s a beautiful E36 BMW 318i, seen in November 2019 at a second-hand car market in Beijing. The Bimmer was in perfect shape, finished in Montreal Blue and fitted with its factory alloy wheels. The E36 is extremely rare in China, so there’s a lot to tell about this old-school German sedan.
The fourth-generation E36 BMW 3-Series
BMW produced the third-generation 3 Series, the “E36”, from 1990 until 2000, with an update in 1996. The car in the photos is a pre-facelift example. One useful clue for dating it more precisely is the side indicator on the front fender, which became standard on the E36 from model year 1993. This car was therefore likely built between 1993 and 1995. The E36 was one of the early examples of the modern “compact executive car”: a relatively small automobile offering luxuries and features that were previously reserved for larger cars.
The BMW E36 3-Series in China
BMW did not officially sell the E36 BMW 3-Series in China, but some cars arrived via the gray market and diplomatic channels. However, most of those cars were mid- and high-end versions of the E36. It is very rare to see such a base-spec model.
It is even rarer to see one in such pristine condition, well-maintained and totally period-correct. Many of these older BMW’s have long ended up as drift cars, or were just abandoned or scrapped. The alloy is a factory 15-inch BMW Style 13 (Sports Spoke) wheel.
The window sticker
This is a typical second-hand market window sticker. The market’s name is 北京市旧机动车交易市场, Běijīng Shì Jiù Jīdòngchē Jiāoyì Shìchang. The official English name is the Beijing Used Motor Exchange Market, also known as the “2SC used-car market”. It is my absolute favorite second-hand car market in Beijing. The first time I came there was in 2003, and I have been going there at least twice a year ever since. It is located north of the southwestern section of the 4th Ring Road. On the sticker:
- License plate: 京KQ5418 — Beijing registration.
- VIN/chassis number: F35303 — showing only the final part.
- Model: 宝马318i, BMW 318i
- Registration date: June 1997.
- Card printed: 18 November 2019, 11:30.
- Pre-sale asking price: 180.000 yuan.
- Lot/position: A209.
The June 1998 date is the first registration in China. The 180.000 yuan asking price translates to $25.6K, according to the late 2019 exchange rate. That is not cheap for such a relatively unknown car, BMW or not.
The emission sticker
An old Beijing vehicle emissions inspection sticker on the windshield. The text at the bottom reads: 北京市环境保护局 (Běijīng Shì Huánjìng Bohù Jú)
, or Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. The ZHB in the logo stands for 中国环境保护 (Zhōngguó Huánjìng Bohù), China Environmental Protection, which was commonly used in China’s environmental-protection identification process. Beijing’s environmental-sticker system itself goes back to 1999, so all cars from the 2000s and 2010s had one. My Jeep had one too! Sadly, Beijing eventually stopped issuing new environmental inspection stickers on 1 November 2017, and the whole system went digital.
The interior of the E36 BMW 318i
The cabin was as well-preserved as the exterior. It still has the original seats – without ugly aftermarket seat covers. The design is typical 1990s BMW; sporty, rock solid, with a large steering wheel and a black-gray color scheme.
The previous owner(s) fitted an aluminum Hamann-branded handbrake handle and gear lever knob. It looks like a real Hamann accessory from that period; I have never seen a fake one with this design.
The CD player, however, is a perfect example of a Chinese after-market unit from the early 2000s. I had one just like this in my car. They were incredibly cheap, like $10 or similar, and for another $10 the shop installed it for you, right there and then, when you were waiting. The design was a bit overdone, very shiny, but the quality was pretty good. Mine lasted for over 15 years.
The rear doors have manual window cranks, rather than electric windows. At the back of the center console is a rear ashtray, not an air vent. The elastic storage net on the back of the front passenger seat is also a period BMW feature.
The E36 318i’s engine
The engine of the E36 BMW 318i was an 8-valve “M43B18” 2.0-liter unit with 115 hp and 168 Nm. The gearbox was a 5-speed manual, sending horsepower to the rear wheels. BMW claimed a 201 km/h top speed and 0-100 in 11.3 seconds. BMW also offered a 4-speed automatic gearbox. The E36 was a small car compared to today’s gigantic 3-Series sedans. Dimensions: 4433/1698/1393, with a 2700-mm wheelbase.
Legacy
This BMW 318i is a true time capsule. The fact that it still looked so good in 2019 is a small miracle. Parts for these cars were, and still are, difficult to find in China, making it expensive and challenging to keep one in top condition. Today, keeping an old car like this on the road in Beijing is nearly impossible because of increasingly strict emissions regulations, which have led to the scrapping of many older cars. I don’t know where this E36 is today, but I hope it is safe somewhere in an enthusiast’s collection.