1972 BMW Bavaria: S-Class Challenge

In September 1968, BMW unveiled its first luxury class car in a long time, a direct competitor to the then-new Mercedes-Benz 250S and 250SE. It would eventually become the 7 Series that we all know today, but it was initially known as the 2500 and the 2800, and it ushered in a new era of six-cylinder-powered BMWs.

Of course, it wasn't the first six-cylinder BMW, nor the first luxury BMW. Not by a long shot. But it was the first one in quite some time. BMW had a rough time of it for a while, subsisting on mini cars like the Isetta and 700 to keep the lights on, but then the "New Class" BMW 1800 and 2000 started to turn the tide and began what became the "Ultimate Driving Machine" era by the 1980s and '90s.

The new car clearly had a similar look to the 2000 and smaller 1800/2002 models, but it was all new, stem to stern. Styling was a bit more "mature" in keeping with the car's higher-end intended clientele. It is also my favorite era of BMW sedan. Weight was below 2900 pounds, it was 185 inches long with a 106-inch wheelbase. Of course, the biggest difference between the 2500 and the 2800 was the slightly larger displacement, but the 2800 also had a few extra niceties over the 2500, including Nivomat self-leveling rear shocks.

In its home market, the 1969 2500 had an MSRP of 14,485 marks (or $3680, which adjusted for inflation is about $31,318 today). The 2800 was 17,250 marks ($4400 / $37,446). Despite the imposing ask, over 36,000 were sold in its inaugural model year. The 2500 had 150 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 156 lb-ft of torque, while the 2800 had 170 horses with 174 lb-ft of torque. When the 2500 landed in the United States, it had a base price of $5284 (nearly $45K today).

The initial 2.5-liter six was designed for displacement increases, and so BMW followed suit in April 1971 with the introduction of the 3.0. Two versions were offered, the 3.0S with twin carburetors and 180 horsepower, and the 3.0Si with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection and 200 horses.

Also in 1971 came the Bavaria, like our featured car today. It was essentially a slightly de-trimmed 2500/2800. Apparently the big six BMW sedans' pricing in the States was a bit daunting, and this new model was offered in response. The initial '71 model had an MSRP of $4987 ($38,459), which was $1200 less than the 2500 and $2000 cheaper than the 2800. Sales did see an increase, so it must have tempted more buyers than the previous model year.

The 3.0S and 3.0Si, unlike the Bavaria, were fully loaded cars with leather interior and full power assists, but, of course, they had a healthy bump price-wise as well. The ultimate version of the 1969-77 big BMWs, however, was the 3.3 L, which gained not only a bigger engine, but an extra four inches of wheelbase.

Top speed of the Broughamiest BMW, the 3.3 L could achieve 127 mph. The initial 3.3 L had 190 hp at 5500 rpm, but in 1975 came the 3.3 Li, which replaced the carbs with the aforementioned Bosch fuel injection, which bumped power to 197 hp.

Automatic transmission was standard on the 3.3L/Li, but a manual was available on special order for the more sporting captain of industry.

The end of the road for these graceful German sedans came in 1977. All told, 208,305 were built. The next year the car would be redesigned and become the 733i. I like those a lot too, but I like the 1969-77 generation a little bit more. As luck would have it, I spotted a like-new 733i in the classic color combo of silver with red leather interior in downtown Davenport, Iowa, last summer. Expect a column on that one, one of these days!

As for our featured car, I saw it at the very first Des Moines Concours d'Elegance I attended, back in 2016. BMW was one of the featured marques that year, and so there were several very fine classic examples on display, including this one and the '70 3.0 CS that I wrote about some time back. In both cases, I loved the metallic jade green paint with the saddle tan interiors. They made for a great matched set!

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