Buy a Classic BMW
For those wanting the stylish feel of a vintage vehicle, knowing how to buy a classic BMW can be the starting point to making your purchase. You will need to determine which year suits you as well as color, distance from home you are willing to get the car, as well as how much your pocketbook will allow you to spend.
Contents
Steps
- Know background information on the BMW to help you make a purchasing decision.
- Vintage motorcycle production began in 1923, and car production began in 1928. So cars around these years will be the oldest that you can find.
- Know the BMW nomenclature. BMW car descriptions are generally three digits followed by one to two letters. The first number is the series number of the vehicle, and the next two numbers are usually the cubic centimeter measurement of the engine displacement divided by 100.
- The letters can be by themselves or in combination. Some of them are as follows: A = automatic transmission, C = coupé, c = cabriolet, d = diesel, e = eta, g = compressed natural gas/CNG, h = hydrogen, i = fuel-injected, L = long wheelbase, s = sport, sDrive = rear wheel drive, T = touring, Ti = hatchback for the BMW 3 Series hatchback, and x/xDrive = BMW xDrive all wheel drive.
- BMW cars were produced in Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, the United States and South Africa, so these will be the countries that you should have the most luck in locating the car you want.
- Begin your BMW search locally by consulting your newspaper classifieds. Look through the personal classifieds, and if you don't find what you are looking for there, expand your search to the dealer advertisements. Purchasing locally can be a tremendous cost saver because you will not have to pay to have the vehicle shipped or delivered.
- Purchase a BMW regionally by looking for print publications generally found at gas stations or convenience stores. These magazines will help you locate a vehicle that is possibly within driving distance that will again allow you to have little or no shipping charges.
- Expand your search for BMWs to national or international locations by using the web.
- Car and Classic is British site that can help you find the right vintage BMW.
- Try searching AutoTraderClassics.com for your next vintage BMW purchase. Plug in details such as the year range you are looking for, how far you are willing to travel, and the price range you are willing to spend to find the right car for you.
- You can also search through the listings at Fossilcars.com for the right BMW for you.
- Settle on the one car that you want, or narrow your search down to a handful of BMW's in which you are interested.
- Determine the suggested price of the BMW(s) you are interested in by looking at the Kelley Blue Book. This publication is a trusted vehicle valuation source, and it should give you a reasonable starting point for price.
- Contact the seller. Most sites or car listings are only the middleman, so speak directly to the person or dealership that has the BMW for sale.
- Determine if the price is firm or negotiable. If it is negotiable start discussing where you two can meet in the middle on price. To do so, start lower than you want to pay, but not too low as to offend the seller.
- Discuss and settle on a method to get the vehicle to you. Are you going to have the seller ship it or deliver it to you? Will you have someone drive you to the vehicle or catch a plane to fly there in order for you to drive the car back?
- Settle on method of payment for the classic BMW, and finalize the transaction.
- Finished.
Tips
- Consult with your automobile insurance agent to determine how your pricing will be affected by year and quality of the vehicle as well as how often you plan to drive it. Working your insurance expenses into the expected amount that you will pay each month should be weighed into your purchase decision.
