BMW 635CSi (E24) review: the classic coupe worth restoring, not just driving
MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The 635CSi is not a used car in any conventional sense anymore — it is a classic, bought on condition and originality rather than mileage, and it needs a specialist who works on 1980s BMWs specifically, not a general workshop. Bahrain's dry climate has been kind to the surviving examples that avoided rust, and a genuinely sorted Motronic-era car is a satisfying, mechanically honest thing to own. Budget for a pre-purchase inspection from someone who knows the model, and expect to pay for scarcity, not just condition.
Pros
- Iconic shark-nose shape that defined a generation of BMW coupe design
- M30 straight-six is one of the most durable, mechanically simple engines BMW ever built
- Bahrain's dry climate has spared surviving examples the rust that claims E24s elsewhere
- No electronics to fail — most faults are diagnosable with real mechanical knowledge
Cons
- Rubber, seals and wiring insulation are original-age and due for renewal regardless of condition
- Needs a specialist classic-BMW mechanic, not a general workshop
- Trim, interior and body panels are genuinely hard to source
- Bought and priced as a hobby classic, not as practical daily transport
The E24 6 Series, and the 635CSi in particular, is the car that established the long-bonnet, shark-nose silhouette BMW's coupes chased for decades afterward. Production ran from 1976 to 1989, but the cars worth seeking out are the later Motronic-injected models from around 1985 onward, which replaced the earlier mechanical fuel injection with a more reliable, easier-to-tune engine management system.
The M30 straight-six, in 3.4-litre form here, is one of BMW's most durable engines ever built — a design that traces its roots to the 1960s and was refined for two decades before the 635CSi used its final, most powerful iteration. It is genuinely simple by any modern standard: no turbo, no direct injection, no electronic throttle, and a mechanical fuel-injection heritage that means most faults are diagnosable with basic tools and real mechanical knowledge rather than a laptop.
Owning one in Bahrain
Bahrain's dry climate is a genuine advantage for a 1980s German car — the rust that claims E24s in wetter markets is far less of a threat here, and well-stored examples have survived in better structural condition than you would expect for a car this age. What still needs attention is anything rubber or plastic: bushings, seals, and wiring insulation are all original-age and due for renewal regardless of how well the car has been kept.
This is not a car for a general workshop. Bahrain has a small but genuine classic-BMW specialist community, and finding one before you buy — not after something goes wrong — is the difference between an enjoyable ownership experience and a frustrating one. Parts for the M30 engine itself are relatively available through classic-BMW specialist networks; trim, interior and body panels are the harder items to source.
Who should buy one
Buy it if you want a genuine classic with real driving character and are prepared to treat it as a hobby car rather than transport, and if you have already found a specialist mechanic before you go looking at examples. This is not a car to buy on impulse from a listing photo.