A future classic? BMW 3 Series E46

For those who haven’t warmed to the post-Chris Bangle era BMWs, the BMW E46 3 Series is regarded as the last truly pretty BMW 3 Series.

Launched in 1998, the E46 made its debut as a four-door saloon, with Touring estate and two-door coupe and convertible models following in 1999.

Whichever version you chose, from the entry-level 316i through to the rip-snorting M3, one thing was guaranteed – you got a car that was incomparably handsome in its class, with a feeling of quality that few others could match.

Work on the BMW E46 3 Series began in earnest in 1994, with the exterior design coming from BMW’s DesignWorksUSA consultancy in California, which was previously responsible for the BMW Z3 roadster.

It was developed quickly – just 31 months from final design sign-off to production launch. It arrived in December 1997 in Germany and April 1998 in the UK.

The design was evolutionary rather than revolutionary – regardless of body style, the BMW E46 was very similar in dimensions to its BMW E36 predecessor, with the two cars sharing a very similar profile.

But the bodyshell was reportedly 70% stiffer, while the use of aluminium and light alloy components in the car’s suspension and transmission systems meant it was also significantly lighter – up to 140kg of mass reduction, depending on model.

Coupled to BMW’s traditional rear-wheel-drive layout, the new BMW 3 Series was a wonderful thing to drive, even in basic four-cylinder form, while moving up to a straight-six brought with it extra refinement and a super-smooth power delivery. In its day, there wasn’t an E46 in the model line-up that failed to deliver.

It’s no surprise, then, that the BMW 3 Series E46 shot straight into the UK’s top 10 sales charts, where it would remain for most of its life. Over 70% of new sales came from fleets, but then the 3 Series was a company car par excellence, with an unburstable image and plenty of choice for fleet managers and user choosers alike.

To own one when new was a delight – great to drive, good to look at and with a real feeling of wellbeing, it was a fabulous car in every right. Later additions to the range, such as the wonderful six-cylinder diesel 330d, which arrived in 1999 and the M54 325i petrol, which replaced the 323i and 328i models in 2001, just made it more desirable.

Then there was the BMW E46 M3, based on the coupe or cabriolet which developed 335bhp, along with the lightweight CSL model, which you could argue are already future classics in their own right.

For now, though, the standard BMW 3 Series E46 is worthy of some love. Most old BMWs traditionally gather a following, and the BMW E46 is already starting to attract one, though the car’s age of anything from 20 to 27 years suggests that the vast majority are currently doing the rounds in the banger doldrums, which is an area of the car market that doesn’t suit BMWs well.

Alas, like many of its forebears, the remaining BMW E46s are being snapped up by budget motorists with high aspirations, or those who put image above maintenance.

Notwithstanding the buyers who think they can do a better job than BMW did at applying ‘performance’ and ‘styling’ modifications. Find a classic BMW for sale.