Valuation Trends: BMW

Having been in the collector vehicle and specialty insurance space for more than 40 years, we know this for sure: values are always changing. That’s exactly why it's so important to place vehicles on a Guaranteed Value® policy with a partner that regularly monitors changes in value and helps communicate that to agents and customers. At Hagerty, we have a whole team dedicated to Automotive Intelligence, including valuation, pricing and market trends. In fact, they helped us gather the information for this whole Cars You Should Know campaign.

Two notes: When we talk about the “average value” here, we’re talking about the average condition 3 value. If you want to learn more about what “conditions” look like, check out our visual guide.

Across the entire marque, BMWs have an average agreed value of $31,900 and owners are typically in their mid-to-late 50s. Last year, nearly 5,800 BMWs were offered at auction, of which 81% sold, and total sales were just less than $143 million.

Let’s drive into the valuation highlights for this month’s CYSK.

M3

• All models up: All the M3s (1986-2013) in the Hagerty Price Guide have appreciated 21% from $36,600 to $44,400 in the past five years.
• Most valuable: The most valuable version is the 1986-92 (E30), which has an average value of $111,300. Some special editions, like the Sport Evolution, can be worth 2.5 times a standard model.

M5

• Many M5s are down: Only the first three generations of the M5 are in the price guide, but the average value for those is $39,500, which is down 1% since 2020. The 1991-95 M5 (E34) is valued at $42,800, which is down 4% and the station wagon (Touring) is down 10%.
• But some are up: The first-generation 1988 M5 (E28) has a value of $42,500, which is up 6% since 2020. The popular 2000-03 (E39) M5 has an average value of $32,900, which is up 5%.

3-series

• 2-door, doubled: Aside from the M3s, the most valuable 3-Series covered by the Hagerty Price Guide is the 1987-91 BMW 325is 2-door sedan with an average value of $26,500, which has more than doubled in the past five years.
• Popular and getting more so: The E30 generation 3-Series is a popular vehicle for modification and upgrade due to its mix-and-match parts interchangeability and large production volume. Seems people are taking notice: It has an average value of $17,500, which is up 62% since 2020.

Z3

• Under 10K: For your new or younger enthusiast clients, the entry-level Z3 is the 4-cylinder roadster (1996-98), which has a value of $9,900, up 50% since 2020.
• Couped up: The M Coupe is the most valuable with an average condition 3 value of $38,500. That’s up 20% in the last 5 years.

Z8

• Rare and special: The Z8 has an average condition 3 value of $167,200, which is up 18% since 2020. The Z8 Alpina was built in smaller numbers and is generally worth about 30% more. Rare colors such as Topaz Blue are also more valuable, and cars painted that color tend to be worth 25% more.
• Less miles, more value: Many Z8s have less than 10,000 miles. While many of BMW’s competitors of the time Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Aston Martin—have models that have depreciated, values for the Z8 have remained near initial list price.

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