E3 Kombi/Touring For Sale

Dick Steinkamp

Dick Steinkamp

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In Germany

"Make me a serious offer this project. Car like From Olympic games Munich 1972. Same company who made it. Those from the Olympics are destroyed by BMW. (Bad advertising because of the Terrorists use) And a lot of work. And a lot of parts to restore it. Something special for collectors."

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This car is above is very different to the factory Kombis and looks almost home made to me in the pictures, as it neither looks like the factory cars or the UK built ones. I wonder if this was part of the E3 horde that was for sale a while ago, there was an extremely rough car amongst everything, but could never get any information from the seller.

There is one of the three factory Kombis left - I believe two of three were destroyed and the last remaining one is now up and running again.
 
BMW Pete said:
This car is above is very different to the factory Kombis and looks almost home made to me in the pictures, as it neither looks like the factory cars or the UK built ones. I wonder if this was part of the E3 horde that was for sale a while ago, there was an extremely rough car amongst everything, but could never get any information from the seller.

There is one of the three factory Kombis left - I believe two of three were destroyed and the last remaining one is now up and running again.
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Could you post some pictures of the "factory cars" and "UK built ones" to show the differences with this car? If no pics available, what are the key differences between the three cars?
 
BMW Pete said:
This car is above is very different to the factory Kombis and looks almost home made to me in the pictures, as it neither looks like the factory cars or the UK built ones. I wonder if this was part of the E3 horde that was for sale a while ago, there was an extremely rough car amongst everything, but could never get any information from the seller.

There is one of the three factory Kombis left - I believe two of three were destroyed and the last remaining one is now up and running again.
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Absolutely right. The car looks home made, although it is not. It is said to be one of a small series built in south-western Germany. The rear gate probably is from the Opel Rekord D Caravan (1971-1977) with the lower part cut off.

"E3 horde" perfectly describes what was offered last autumn. There were about 21 cars, all thickly covered in dust and very far from roadworthy, plus a multitude of parts in different states. The former owner bought cars, broke up quite a few, and piled everything in a machine shed and nearby. As he himself cannot deal with things anymore, a friend of his tries to market the whole array. He, the friend/seller, is a friendly guy, and the work he does is no fun most of the time. There was not one extremely rough car, there were maybe five (of 21) cars that were not extremely rough.

The whole board of the E3-Club (all five) were there last October plus some others but for multiple reasons we could not take over the cars and parts: transport, storage, cleaning and so on. I really liked to but had to admit it was impossible for a small club to do. It was just short of an hour's drive from where I live so I went there several more times to look for parts and things. It was a very surreal place, a former cowshed without electric light full of E3 doors, bootlids, grilles, bumpers, boxes with doorpanels, hundreds of mouldings, bumpers, radiators, everything. Most parts came from totaled cars and would have needed at least a little work before use. That's where the Türkis 3.0 Si Kombi lived for about 20 years.
 
Pretty cool project. Does anyone have an idea of what this seller is hoping to get for this car? (EDIT: The Facebook link worked for me now and I see the asking price) Their descriptions makes it sound like they expect a fortune. But the condition of the car seems to suggest a significant hill to climb for a buyer. Just curious what this rare cruiser should fetch. The sedans are sexy enough for me. :cool:
 
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Dick Steinkamp said:
Could you post some pictures of the "factory cars" and "UK built ones" to show the differences with this car? If no pics available, what are the key differences between the three cars?
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The 2800 Kombi that was built and used by BMW themselves. This one is from late 1969 and, as @BMW Pete says, running again for about two years now. Photo by the owner. One of two or one of three. Maybe there is another one hidden somewhere, maybe not. Usually leave the table when the Kombi talk starts. Mostly gossip.
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The 3.0 Si RHD Estate converted by Crayford?, marketed by Langley Motors, Great Britain. Built in 1974, made an Estate when new. Please correct me should I go wrong. Small series, a few dozens, I guess. The British say none has survived in acceptable state. They speak of very poor build quality. This one was restored and must be far better than new. Photo by me.
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The 3.0 Si Kombi offered since September 2020. Built in 1972, original Türkis, converted in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, probably very early in life. Rumours say there were about a dozen. Only known example (today). Needs a very full restoration. Photo by my friend Bert. Has been cleaned since. The picture @Dick Steinkamp found is a bit flattering, Bert's is the opposite.
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This is my unfavourite topic of all. Hope you like it; anyway.
 
Christoph said:
The 2800 Kombi that was built and used by BMW themselves. This one is from late 1969 and, as @BMW Pete says, running again for about two years now. Photo by the owner. One of two or one of three. Maybe there is another one hidden somewhere, maybe not. Usually leave the table when the Kombi talk starts. Mostly gossip.
View attachment 125917
The 3.0 Si RHD Estate converted by Crayford?, marketed by Langley Motors, Great Britain. Built in 1974, made an Estate when new. Please correct me should I go wrong. Small series, a few dozens, I guess. The British say none has survived in acceptable state. They speak of very poor build quality. This one was restored and must be far better than new. Photo by me.
View attachment 125918
The 3.0 Si Kombi offered since September 2020. Built in 1972, original Türkis, converted in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, probably very early in life. Rumours say there were about a dozen. Only known example (today). Needs a very full restoration. Photo by my friend Bert. Has been cleaned since. The picture @Dick Steinkamp found is a bit flattering, Bert's is the opposite.
View attachment 125919
This is my unfavourite topic of all. Hope you like it; anyway.
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Thank you Christoph - a very full and informative post, with great pictures.

If I may add my understanding on the BMW Factory Kombi's and English Estate cars ...........

Just three Kombi's made for the BMW team, which were used extensively for both Rallye cars as you mention and the early CSL Motorsport chassis's as support vehicles, this of course included my Olympic Rallye CSL, which had exactly the same livery. After these BMWs were used up, the Motorsport team went to Peugeot estates and I understand from the mechanics, the Peugeots were not up to the job and would collapse under the weight they normally put on the BMWs.

I understand 12 cars made for the BMW UK agents and as you correctly say marketed by Langley motors. One is known to survive and was marketed by Classic Heroes in the UK recently for a very long time at 80k pounds, I don't know that it actually sold - it was fully restored by The Werkshop in the USA.......which of course makes the price on this car above look rather optimistic to say the least. Here is the advert
https://www.classicheroes.co.uk/bmw-e3si-estate
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Thank you for the information on this green car, always nice to be educated, the first time I saw such a conversion was in the "horde" picture. Its nice to know a little more about such a thing.......still looks home made though :) :)
 
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Christoph said:
Usually leave the table when the Kombi talk starts. Mostly gossip.
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Thank you @Christoph for all the detailed information. History like this is a very interesting part of the old car hobby for me.

The quote of yours above is so common not only about vintage BMWs. There seem to always be lots of rumors, half truths, legends, etc. to sift through. But maybe they also make the hobby interesting at the same time. o_O
 
It would be cool to document a list of donor parts that could be used to duplicate a combi wagon. Hatch? Side glass? Etc.?
 
There were three 2800`s converted to Kombi`s by BMW. The base cars were built in late `69 and sent to Seger & Krause to be converted to Kombi`s soon after. They were not built to production standards as they were for internal use, rear side windows were perspex etc....They did a lot of mods to them including fitting extras chassis rails under the rear floor, a roll cage was fitted, emergency electrical cut outs, the rear seats were replaced with a flat deck for carrying spares for the race and rally cars. So far as we know only one car survived, fortunately when BMW sold them in 1973 my car was bought by one of the mechanics who used it to tow his race bike around. The car then passed onto another ex BMW Motorsport mechanic who drove this car many thousands of kilometers whilst working for BMW, I bought it from him. As it had never fallen into the wrong hands it still retains its originality including the original engine which BMW enlarged to 3.0 litres in period.....Alex.
 

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roundel said:
There were three 2800`s converted to Kombi`s by BMW. The base cars were built in late `69 and sent to Seger & Krause to be converted to Kombi`s soon after. They were not built to production standards as they were for internal use, rear side windows were perspex etc....They did a lot of mods to them including fitting extras chassis rails under the rear floor, a roll cage was fitted, emergency electrical cut outs, the rear seats were replaced with a flat deck for carrying spares for the race and rally cars. So far as we know only one car survived, fortunately when BMW sold them in 1973 my car was bought by one of the mechanics who used it to tow his race bike around. The car then passed onto another ex BMW Motorsport mechanic who drove this car many thousands of kilometers whilst working for BMW, I bought it from him. As it had never fallen into the wrong hands it still retains its originality including the original engine which BMW enlarged to 3.0 litres in period.....Alex.
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Meant to say the attached photos were taken at the Acropolis Rally, Greece in 1973.
 
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