Market Find: 1995 BMW M3 Coupe (E36) in Daytona Violet

The E36 generation of BMW M3 is a modern young timer classic, meaning any clean and modestly-miled up specimen is likely to draw a premium. Throw in special paint such as BMW Individual Daytona Violet (daytonaviolett; metallic; 283; BMW) and now you have something extra special. Take for example this 1995 M3 Coupe we’ve just run across.

There’s something about the E36. It lacks the 80s-tastic box flares of the E30 M3, or the truly unique M3 cues of the E46. Instead, like other performance cars of the early 90s (looking at you Porsche 964, Audi S2 or Volkswagen Golf VR6 Highline), it’s understated enough that casual observers might have a hard time picking it out of a lineup of lesser yet well-kitted 3 series models. Well… maybe lesser models in normal colors.

This specific M3 Coupe isn’t just interesting because of its spec. If you decide you want it, it’s also going to be interesting to get transact upon. Why? Well, it’s located not far from Cannes, France. So, you’d have to import it.

On the downside, it’s a U.S. spec car meaning less horsepower. On the upside, U.S. spec cars tend to hold their value better when resold in the American market, and we’re guessing any importation duties were paid back in 1995 when BMW brought the car into the U.S.A. in the first place. You don’t have to pay those duties a second time.

Not paying a second round of duties is a bonus you wouldn’t enjoy on a European spec car, though we doubt it’ll cover your shipping. You’d also have to find someone to import it at the very least. For that we’d suggest Orchid Euro in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Orchid specializes in importation of cars older than 25 years, uses automotive transport vessels rather than risking it shipping in containers, and has a network of people in Europe who can get eyes on and even handle transport to the port of Emden, Germany from which they ship. That all comes with a fee, but we’ve found them to be reasonable and have used their services ourselves.

So, interested in chasing this M3 down? You can find it listed HERE.

Editor’s note: while not a BMW Individual build, Daytona Violet was a one year only color, with just 519 sold in the US. As such, we found it a fitting addition to our records, and a vehicle well worth featuring.