e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

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e21Keith
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e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by e21Keith »

Just seen the trailer for the next season of Top Gear on BBC1 and there is an e21, looks like a 323i driving in convoy with a Mk1 Fiesta and what looks like a mk4 Cortina. The e21 reg UVN406X was last MOT'd June 2019 at just 68391 miles, nice clean MOT history too, no rust issues. Please tell me they didn't destroy the car as they do to so many on the show. Many years ago the destroyed vehicles used to end up at a breakers in Aldershot with instruction that they were to be crushed, but I still managed to save the m-tec2 steering wheel from Hammond's e30.

Looks like the car was listed on eBay last year at just under £12k but not sure if that was before or after the Top Gear recording (assuming before). Does anyone know where the car is, did it survive?


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Jeroen
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by Jeroen »

Regards/groeten, Jeroen
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by TaylorGoesFast »

I don't think I've ever seen an e21 make it on the show, rich is really a surprise. Have they ever featured anything older than an E30?
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e21Keith
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by e21Keith »

As far as classic BMWs go, I recall an e24 635csi which they destroyed, an e36 M3 which I think also suffered, sure there must be many more.

In old Top Gear Tiff Nedell smoked the tyres off an e39 M5 (reg no 400BHP) which is a classic now but was brand new back in 1999. I remember watching that episode and deciding that I had to have one!

Chris Harris owns an e28 M5 and used to own an e39 M5 (not sure if he still has them both).

Clarkson once owned a 3.0 CSL, but I don't recall seeing anything older than an e30 until now.
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Re: e21 nella prossima stagione di Top Gear

Post by nic65 »

4-wheeler business France used a 323i e21 in a recent episode,who has seen it?
e21Keith
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by e21Keith »

The Top Gear episode with the e21 will be aired this Sunday on BBC1 at 9pm.
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by polov8 »

I think the feature centres around cars your Dad drove when you were a kid. Should be interesting!
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by Jeroen »

Thanks I'll be watching!
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e21Keith
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by e21Keith »

I think this feature is all about my relationship with the e21.

My Father bought an e21 new in 1982, as he drove it home I told him that he could only sell the car to me, which he did in 1986.

The promo shot of this feature on the Top Gear website is taken inside the "doughnut" at Television Centre. When I had my e21 I worked at BBC Television Centre, in fact I worked in the basement right below where the e21 is photographed. At the time I was the only BMW owner in the Video Tape department, back then owning a BMW was something very special. Owning an e21 is still very special.
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by Jeroen »

Nice story and memories Keith! When I just got my drivers license both my parents drove an E21 so there was always one at my disposal... how the love affair started!
Regards/groeten, Jeroen
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by Wilmo »

I really liked the show! I have to be honest that it was the first episode of the 'new' Top Gear I saw, but I enjoyed watching it. For me it is not so much about my dad's car. I haven't got the age yet I think to be melancholically about it, but dad drove Ascona's and Rekords in my younger days. For me the E21 is not about youth memories, but it grew upon me. When I bought mine in 2011 I have written somewhere on the internet that I did not really mind whether it would be an Opel, Ford or a BMW. But now, nearly ten years later: It could not write that anymore. The modern stuff is anonymous to me, and BMW is there in a league I would not buy, even if I wanted, but this episode showed for me the real distance between the cars back in the days. For me the E21 breaths and gives me the idea that I am really driving a car. The 323i in the show seems from another planet compared to the two Fords. Of course I have wondered this by looking at other period cars on the motorway, but here it was really clear to me.

About the 323i... It looked here and there a bit as if the owner was working until late in the night and just left it kind of unfinished. Rev counter does not work for instance, and the bonnet isn't quite right either, and the valence is painted. Probably others can see even more 'mistakes'.

Cool to see the car on worldwide television!
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by Stoffie »

Thought it was a nice episode as well, quite emotional to be honest.

My neighbour's E21 323i is what started my BMW fascination as a 3 year old but weirdly enough never got around actually buying one.
My dad also drove Ascona's, Sierra's etc when I was a kid, my grandpa had a Taunus (which is the EU version of the Cortina I believe) and even though he never could spend the money to buy the car he really wanted, we did have a bit of a car thing going on for a while.

These E21's and especially the 323i's just kept their special aura, looking the business, especially compared to the plastic crap that is littering the roads these days. Modern day BMW is dead to me, full stop.
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by Jeroen »

Even though I found the item somewhat superficial and a failed attempt to be funny, it definitely made you dream back to the days of these cars, and of course attention for our loved cars for such a (world)wide audience is something the E21 deserves. And Chris bought the actual car... congrats... hope we see him here on the forum one day then!

Although I expected some more in depth on driving experience and all I did like it. Made us all dream back to the day. The day where both my parents drove an E21. We had 2 of those parked in front of our house in the 1980's and I never took a photo... shame on me!
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by e21Keith »

Chris Harris has great taste in cars, what more can I say? He is the only current Top Gear who actually knows anything about cars and can actually drive! I hope we hear more about Chris and his e21, be great to welcome him as a forum member.
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Jeroen
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Re: e21 In Next Season Of Top Gear

Post by Jeroen »

+1!
Regards/groeten, Jeroen
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