I DELIBERATED FOR several months about whether to buy my E21-type BMW rather than an E30. My heart won out over my head because the E21 has that classic BMW look that I loved: the shark nose, the twin headlights and that distinctive grille, as well as the six-cylinder BMW grunt!
In 1978, the 323i became top of an E21 range that had been launched in June 1975. It was powered by a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injected straight-six, and had a five-speed gearbox as well as power steering. There was no M-series E21, although Alpina built the stunning-looking 323i C1 that was also available as a Baur Top Cabriolet like mine. For me it’s the ultimate version of the car: only 35 Alpina C1s were made, so it’s one of the rarest Alpina models, and right-hand-drive versions are even rarer. Lucky you, if you own one.
BMW introduced the Baur Top Cabriolet version in 1978, and my own 323i was built in March 1981 and registered on 3 June that year. I’ve always imagined that the first owner may have been some sort of yuppie from the City, because there were quite a lot of extras on board. It was fitted with a phone aerial, and the number plate is quite unusual. ‘VRO 600W’ was presumably a take on ‘VROOM’ or, if you are German, ‘VROOW’, and that’s just what the car’s exhaust note sounds like. The owner clearly wanted to stand out with his choice of car and plate.
Back to the here and now, and the Baur failed its MoT early in 2024. The nearside rear damper, one of a pair bought as recently as 2021, had leaked all over the underside of the car, and both front tyres were worn almost to the limit. I had also noticed an increased amount of scuttle shake, so it was time to get a closer look at what was going on.
I had seen that Radford Restorations (radfordrestorations. com) had rel
