BMW is a brand that sticks. It’s the type of automotive brand that typically makes fans for life. The fandom often starts at a young age and is usually inspired by a family member or friend that’s been involved with the brand for awhile. That’s exactly what happened with Sébastien Defaux, who bought his first E30-gen BMW 316d.
Defaux was originally interested in firetrucks. He dreamed of being a firefighter and would collect toy and model firetrucks. But then, he was inspired by his cousin,who was also a BMW enthusiasts, and his uncle, who was a rally driver and used to drive a BMW 2002tii rally car. These family members and their BMWs inspired Defaux to love BMWs, rather than firetrucks. So he searched for a BMW when looking for his first car.
But it wasn’t just any BMW he was looking for. After seeing an E30 BMW M3 in person, Defaux knew he wanted an E30 BMW. He fell in love with the shape of the E30 and began his search for one. Despite his parents telling him that he should get a newer, more conventional car, he wanted an E30 BMW.
When he finally stumbled upon an ad for an old BMW not far from his home, he dragged his parents and grandfather over to take a look at it. It was owned by an auto mechanic who took very good care of it and it was in excellent condition. So he bought it. Defaux’s father drove it home, to make sure there were not issues with it, but after that, Defaux was finally able to drive his very own BMW 316d. In this video, they don’t specifically say whether it’s a 316i or 316d, but upon start up it sounds quite rattly, which leads me to believe it’s an old diesel.
We applaud Defaux for going with an E30 BMW, rather than something newer and less interesting. The E30 3 Series is a fantastic car and one that is still worth owning today. Its simplicity, charm and driving dynamics are unmatched in today’s modern cars and makes for a wonderful ownership experience.
