1983 BMW 3 Series Coupe (E30) Photos, engines & full specs

After seven years on the market and a successful career, the first generation of the 3 Series, the E21, was replaced by one of the most famous cars in BMW’s history, the E30 3 Series.

The introduction of the second generation of the 3 Series was no surprise for the automaker’s customers. They had expected it since the previous model, the E21 generation, reached its seventh year on the market, and BMW didn’t disappoint them. As a result, the E30 was unveiled in late 1982 for the 1983 model year. It instantly became the benchmark for compact executive sport sedans, and it was available in two flavors, coupe and four-door. The two-door version targeted younger customers or at least those who didn’t need to put anyone in the rear seats. BMW developed an utterly new platform for it and took just some modified M10 engines from the previous generation. Furthermore, if the five-speed manual was available only on specific E21 versions, it became standard across the range on the E30, and it even included some delightful amenities, such as a power moonroof, windows, and locks.

With a design signed by one of the most influential figures in post-war European car styling, Claus Luthe, the E30 charmed its buyers. Its front fascia adopted a similar styling as the E21, albeit just the one with twin headlights, which made it look miles ahead of other competitors. The simple design language of the vehicle, with horizontal lines on the grille interrupted in the middle by BMW’s kidney grille, made the 1983 3 Series instantly recognizable from the front. It still had the chromed bumper adorned on the ends by plastic covers, but it also had an apron underneath to lower the ground effect and improve aerodynamics.

From its profile, the new 14-inch alloy wheels had a unique design resembling a multi-blade turbine. Unlike its predecessor, the E30 coupe had a slightly ascending waistline emphasized by the already-known Hofmeister-kink design theme on the C-posts. Furthermore, it featured a short, straight rear deck, not a sloped-down one like its predecessor. The second generation of the 3 Series coupe had the same wheelbase as its four-door sibling, and the automaker created longer doors to ease rear passengers’ ingress and egress into the car.

Inside, the automaker started to show its upscale-oriented profile. While the lower grades came with fabric-covered mild bolstered seats, customers could choose leather-wrapped interior and sports seats. These were also height-adjustable, a feat that not too many automakers offered in the compact-sedan segment. Fronting the driver was an instrument cluster that was filled with anything a driver needed, including large dials for the speedometer and tachometer and smaller gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature. In addition, a fuel consumption meter was included below the rev counter.

But BMW thought about adding more options to the vehicle and installed an early version of what was known, later on, as an onboard computer. That provided valuable data, such as the service interval (with green, yellow, and red LEDs) underneath the dials. At the same time, another computer with push buttons showed potential problems via red LEDs and also featured an LCD that revealed data about average speed, fuel efficiency, or driving times. The latter unit was placed on the center stack and tilted towards the driver. Between the front occupants, the narrow center console housed the gear stick or the gear selector (for automatic transmissions), depending on the grade and options. In the back, there was more legroom and headroom compared to the E21 generation.

Under the hood, BMW installed a wide choice of engines for the 1983 3 Series, with four or six cylinders. In addition, the automaker also provided the option for two diesel powerplants, turbocharged and naturally aspirated. Power went to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. The automaker introduced a facelift in 1986, which added significant improvements in all areas.