The new year has arrived and that means one thing: all our beloved BMWs are another year older. Newer Bimmers may have depreciated a tad more, while older, well-cared-for BMWs are closer to holding their value and in some cases, even appreciating.
The E30 BMW 3 Series has now been around for more than 30 years. Originally marketed as a small but sporty luxury car to customers not quite ready for a 5 or 7 Series and the upwardly mobile younger demographic, the E30 has proven to be resilient, reliable—when treated right—and above all, fun to drive. They sold well, and many were properly maintained so that now, there are still quite a few left on the road. So many, that second, third, and fourth owners and beyond have joined still original E30 owners and created both physical and virtual E30 enthusiast communities around the country.
Nowhere is the E30 community more prevalent than in the Pacific Northwest, home to the annual E30 picnic as well as the Pro3 E30 racing series.
Owen Craft and Filmcraft Productions spent five months in 2014 creating a film that celebrates the BMW E30 3 Series and the owners who love them. It’s called “Respect Your Elders: An E30 Documentary.”
Many of you have already seen this film over the past fifteen months, but for those who haven’t, for BMW fans in general, and for E30 enthusiasts in particular, here it is again. The film is quite professional with excellent production values. You can tell it was made by skilled videographers who also are passionate about their cars.
We BMW owners who hang onto our cars well past the time when others would have traded for newer models, those of us who keep our aging Bimmers looking good and running well, will eventually find ourselves looking for others with whom we share the same appreciation for the models we love. It would be great to find talented people like Owen Craft and the Filmworks team to memorialize our passion as well as they have done for the BMW E30.—Scott Blazey
[Photo and video courtesy of Filmcraft Productions and Owen Craft.
