1977 BMW 320i with only about 14.5 thousand kilometers on it. That’s nearly half a century for the car, and some Moscow taxi drivers put that much mileage between oil changes. This first-generation BMW 3-Series, E21, remained with its first owner for over 40 years before being passed to its current owner in 2024. The condition reflects this history: the body is painted Fjord Metallic, it features original 13-inch wheels, a sunroof, air conditioning, and the highlight of the interior—Recaro sports seats—which look as if a blanket was the most they ever neatly folded on them over the past few decades. Before being sold, the car had several consumables replaced, including the battery, spark plugs, belts, hoses, and tires.

Under the hood, you find classic engineering that doesn’t require a subscription, a massive tablet, or a smartphone app: an atmospheric two-liter «four-cylinder» M10 engine producing 110 hp, a four-speed manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. It even includes a self-locking differential. Today, 110 horsepower might be found in a car bought «just for the wife to go to the store,» but in 1977, everything looked much more spirited. There are no power windows, by the way—the windows open the old-fashioned way: you twist the knob and simultaneously get a free forearm workout. But there is a cassette player, analog gauges, and that signature old BMW cabin, where the driver was still considered the car’s primary multimedia device. When the car was new, its recommended price was $9,620.

It seemed like the perfect formula for a collector: a first-generation «three-series,» original equipment, a fun mileage, Recaro seats, and a time machine’s condition. But the auction ended in the most awkward way possible. For the BMW, they offered $20,000… and the car went unsold. There were only ten bids at the auction, even though the listing had over 11,000 views. So, it’s that classic internet scenario: everyone came to comment, «Cars used to be built better, ” hit the heart icon, saved the photo, and then cheerfully left when it came time to pull out their bank card. Now this 320i can continue the main mission of its life—to be driven as little as possible. Another 50 years in this mode, and the mileage will finally reach its first major service interval.