Beautifully preserved original car in great colors. Everything works including A/C and power antenna. Lifetime southern car, very clean throughout. Runs and drives extremely well. Arguably BMW’s best coupe design still at an affordable price!

This 1979 BMW 633CSi was built early in 6-Series coupe production, but its handsome good looks kept it in production for nearly a decade. Looking at this long, lithe coupe, you can see that there’s nothing extra, nothing installed merely for style’s sake, and a purity of line that reminds us that there was a time when BMW really was the “ultimate driving machine.” This is a super clean car purchased by a gentleman who understands performance and luxury and that perhaps there wouldn’t be another BMW quite like this. As a result, it remains in very good condition, considering that it’s approaching 45 years old. It wears original Garnet paint (not a terribly interesting name, but it’s just lovely in person) that showcases just what you got for what was a substantial chunk of money in 1979. BMW finish quality was exceptional back then, with expert panel fit that looks crisp and a sound to the doors that resembles well-oiled machinery. The paint certainly shows well for its age, but there are few signs of use—a good indicator that this car has led a sheltered life. Most notably, the chin spoiler is a little scuffed and there are one or two nicks on the hood, but for the most part it looks quite good and does not need any major work to be enjoyed with pride. Things like the rubber bumpers, the window gaskets, and taillight housings are excellent and the blue and white BMW roundel on the nose and tail still stands out like a beacon, perhaps more-so here than on the late-model cars.

The handsomely finished black leather interior is far more luxuriously trimmed than I remember BMW offering in the 1980s, lacking the hard edges and crude details that seemed to define their single-minded pursuit of driving excellence. The seats, including the driver’s chair, are in great condition with only light comfort marks and may some wear on the outer bolster, both well in line with the car’s age and mileage. The carpets are excellent, having been protected by BMW-logo mats almost from new, and you’ll feel special when you climb inside, crossing over that lovely bright chrome threshold every time. Perhaps the most remarkable feature is that everything works. The A/C is cold, the windows all power up and down, the seats are firm and comfortable, and all the gauges are bright, clear, and snap to attention when you turn the key. Even the original radio and power antenna work as they should! Overhead there’s a power sunroof to make the airy coupe feel wide open and the arrangement of the controls again reminds you that grabbing the wheel, moving the shifter, and dancing with the pedals are your primary responsibility when you’re in a BMW. This is a coupe, but it’s a big coupe, designed to cross great distances with ease, so it includes a good-sized trunk for all your luggage and includes a complete original tool kit (with fuses, polishing cloth, and bulbs intact!) as well as the factory-issued spare tire and jack assembly.

BMW’s 3.3-liter inline-six really needs no introduction. Turbine-smooth, torquey, yet willing to rev, it was their go-to engine until they bucked tradition and started building V8s. In this application, it’s exactly right, starting with an expensive-sounding whirr from the starter motor and settling into a rumbling idle that’s muscular but sophisticated. It’s so smooth you can barely feel it running, but there’s no question that there’s a powerful machine at work here. It’s been properly maintained from the beginning, so it runs superbly and doesn’t have any vices or need any excuses. Turn the key and go, every time. The engine bay is clean, albeit not detailed (this was a daily driver for years, of course) but exhibits conscientious care over the years and lots of recent work to keep it in top condition. And you can thank that engine for the awesome profile and long hood, because it’s a tight fit! It’s linked to a 3-speed automatic transmission, which makes for a fine dance partner in a grand touring BMW. Shifts are crisp and it never hesitates to drop down a gear to keep the big six spinning in the fat part of its powerband. BMW’s all-independent suspension is tuned for handling as much as comfort, so if you’re expecting a plush, pillowy ride, this isn’t your car. But for something this big to enjoy hustling this much is a fairly remarkable feat and, of course, with disc brakes at all four corners, it offers plenty of stopping power to match its performance. It carries factory alloy wheels in very good condition and a set of 215/60/14 blackwall radials for the perfect look.

Documented with its factory owner’s manual, this is a beautifully maintained car that some sources have already named a blue-chip collectable (Hagerty, Sports Car Market, and Hemmings Motor News have suggested that the 6-Series is The Next Big Thing). This is a car that’s been loved its entire life and it shows. It’s not perfect, but it is a car that you can get in and drive as if it were 1979 all over again. Experience what the Ultimate Driving Machine really felt like before computers and SUVs wrecked the whole show. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.