BAT: Euro 1974 BMW 3.0CSi 5-Speed
- Thread starter Jon C
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we shall see what happens with Ivo. it was purchased by Scuderia Sportina a while back - i show they are the 3rd or 4th owner. i like anthrazit coupes, with the red interior i would have preferred black carpet and maybe black door panels ... definitely the carpet as that's too much red.
I love the color combo, I even like the red carpet (sorry Scott). My problem is with the pictures, I feel like they are trying to hide something by taking all those pictures in a warehouse. I could be wrong but what I think they are hiding is that the doors don't completely match the rest of the body (photo 6) - which is potential problem with metallic paint when you shoot the doors, hood, and truck separately.
day66
Well-Known Member
I’m inclined to agree with you, very few clear photos of the side profile. Don’t like the door gaps either.
@vince, that's the beautiful thing about opinions - you don't have to agree to both still like it. in 1978 my fathers 733i was anthrazit and it had a tan interior ... looked okay, but black door panels and that really warm gray look great together IMHO - i remember seeing a 630 csi / 633 csi with that combination. the red seats look fabulous with it and so do the red or black door panels with black carpet. i like @Stan 's Gr8white approach for the interior - red seats, red door panels and black carpet with black coco mats with red dots. for me the compromise might be black carpet and black + red checkerboard coco mats (like your e30).
Another 1974 E9 with 69-73 doorpanels. Seems to be inevitable with some interior colours, better still to use the wrong red ones than none at all. Funny you discuss whether there is too much red inside the car or not. BMW must have posed themselves the same question. In the end they did not offer red carpets, red leather usually went with black ones. By the way: the E3 came with a single part carpet from Sep. 1973 onwards. Was it the same with the coupé? This car here has the multi part set. Is that correct for a late version E9?
Next thing I am not sure about: the toolbox is the early one that ran pretty long but was replaced in mid-1974 by a much cheaper one. As a late 1974 car, shouldn't it have that later version without the black insert? Again, that's how it is on the E3.
One can be pretty sure the body is completely rebuilt. In the comments on BaT the last French licence is stated as "3300 RL 59". On French plates, the last number tells you where the car is from. Napoleon assigned the numbers in alphabetical order to the départements: 59 is "Nord", the top corner of the French hexagon, with a long coastline to the Channel. Almost British weather, quite unpleasant for quickly corroding mid-70s European cars. Probably every inch of the car had to be addressed. Even the floor panels seem to be new; the originals had the drainage holes with the bayonet lock plates but not the ones here.
Sometimes people in Germany talk about Scud. Spor. Col.; they seem to have an interesting reputation. Anyway, Ivo Christov is a well-respected gentleman, he probably knows with whom he is working.
Next thing I am not sure about: the toolbox is the early one that ran pretty long but was replaced in mid-1974 by a much cheaper one. As a late 1974 car, shouldn't it have that later version without the black insert? Again, that's how it is on the E3.
One can be pretty sure the body is completely rebuilt. In the comments on BaT the last French licence is stated as "3300 RL 59". On French plates, the last number tells you where the car is from. Napoleon assigned the numbers in alphabetical order to the départements: 59 is "Nord", the top corner of the French hexagon, with a long coastline to the Channel. Almost British weather, quite unpleasant for quickly corroding mid-70s European cars. Probably every inch of the car had to be addressed. Even the floor panels seem to be new; the originals had the drainage holes with the bayonet lock plates but not the ones here.
Sometimes people in Germany talk about Scud. Spor. Col.; they seem to have an interesting reputation. Anyway, Ivo Christov is a well-respected gentleman, he probably knows with whom he is working.
yes, my understanding is that 1974 coupes had single piece carpet starting in April / May of 1974. this is documented in @HB Chris FAQ - "e9 changes 69 - 74". so 793 would have been built just after April 1974 as it was a 19 July 1974 delivery in Germany. the car was restored in 2021 by Scuderia Sportina and one piece carpets were not still available at that time unless it was a custom install. the cars i have seen sold by Ivo are generally a lot more accurate, but perhaps since he didn't restore it ...
what i show in the coupe ancestry project - there is obviously some missing information
what i show in the coupe ancestry project - there is obviously some missing information
| 4340793 | 2024 | BaT - ivoChristov (Kirchen, Germany) | Anthrazit |
| 2021 | Scuderia Sportina | Anthrazit | |
| 2012 | purchased by Scuderia Sportiva Colonia | ||
| 3/21/1989 | Frederik Tellier | ||
| Erste Anmeidung (Frankreich, Germany) | |||
| 7/19/1974 | German delivery | Anthrazit |
bengal taiga
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while i agree with @Keshav on the CSL, i am with @HB Chris that all other MY 1974 CS cars should have the 4 black slat grilles. i remember back in the day, when i was driving 2002's with the polished slat grilles on the 74 - 76 models, all of the e9 coupes with big bumpers had the 4 black slat grilles. so perhaps this is a USA only thing - i dunno. to me this was a thing that was consistent with the entire model range in the mid 70s, e12, e21, e23 + e24 - they all had polished surround with black fins. <edited to correct my mistakes>
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Scott, 4 polished slat grills or 4 black plastic slat grills?
Here are 2 random big bumper US coupes that sold recently on Bat……5 black anodized Alu slats with polished frame, same grills as CSLs! Surely these 2 examples didn’t find the CSL replacement grills as those are NLA since the 80’s.
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I always thought the shape is slightly different on the 4 slat ones and therefore somewhat ill-fitting.
I agree, you can notice the difference from a distance. Today a decent E3 (face lift type) kidney will cost around 150€ and a decent E9 300€ and more. E9 NOS go for 500€+ thus the temptation to replace with a less expensive solution has even arrived at top restoration shops.
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bubukitty
Well-Known Member
I believe the kidney grill on the coupes were polished through the 1973 model year and black in the middle in 1974 on U.S. coupes. Also, the seat pleats are incorrect on this BaT car. Should be the horizontal for a 1974 coupe vs. the verticals pleats. Still very pretty but not right for a restored car.
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I always read this forum (and the experts), as there maybe a nice E9 in my future when I am ready. This one sure looks nice, although that is a lot of Red in there.
But this comment makes me wonder! ^”Sometimes people in Germany talk about Scud. Spor. Col.; they seem to have an interesting reputation...”^ these bread crumbs may lead to something?
But this comment makes me wonder! ^”Sometimes people in Germany talk about Scud. Spor. Col.; they seem to have an interesting reputation...”^ these bread crumbs may lead to something?
sorry, got it reversed
its a good point ... i don't know for sure which cars have original and which have been replaced. we all know that grilles get damaged and are replaced. i tend to think restored cars probably have a replaced grill (which one depends on what they could get / refinish). i just looked at pix of a 74 that i considered buying 14 years or so ago and it had a 5 slat grill. i have seen several CSi with 5 black slat grilles, but most were restored cars.
i also agree with @Stevehose the 4 slat grill does not fit that well. i also have always thought the black slats look better than the silver slats on all coupes.
sold for $141k ...
there are some little things not correct, but from what i can tell from looking at the pix and the price it sold for ... your assumption is pretty correct.