The original BMW M3 is a pugnacious little brat of a car, more fun to drive than just about anything from the 1980s, short of other homologation specials such as the Renault Turbo 2. BMW’s tiny terror was based on the ubiquitous—and excellent—E30 3 Series, but pumped up with anger and built to meet the quota of 5,000 road-going examples needed to satisfy rules allowing the race version to compete in the FIA Group A touring-car class.
The public first met the diminutive monster, from the automaker’s motorsport-focused M division, at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show, and it went into production in 1986. The first-generation M3 soldiered on in ever-more-potent iterations until 1991, with just short of 18,000 units produced throughout its lifecycle.
Accompanying—or accounting for—its unbridled success in the showroom, was its success in racing, winning the Nürburgring 24 Hours nearly every year from 1989 through 1994 (1993 was the exception). It also conquered the Spa 24 Hours in 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1992. A David among Goliaths, it triumphed over competitors running cars with engines that were either much larger, turbocharged, or both. The M3 also successfully competed in the World Touring Car Championship, taking that title in 1987.
In 1989, BMW released the M3 Cecotto Edition. The model variant was named after Jonathan Cecotto, the Italian-Venezuelan racer who helped cement the German marque’s reputation as a dominant force during his time behind the wheel of the M3. The M3 Cecotto Edition was given BMW’s S14 inline-four, a high-revving, 2.3-liter DOHC engine that makes about 215 hp at 6,750 rpm. A larger front splitter, a revised rear wing, and black 16-inch BBS mesh wheels further distinguish the Cecotto Edition from its M3 siblings.
A superb example of this street version will be featured as part of the annual RM Sotheby’s sale during Northern California’s Monterey Car Week. The two-day auction will take place at the Monterey Conference Center on August 16 and 17.
The car on offer is from 1989 (titled as MY1990), number 363 of only 480 made, and shows 34,621 kilometers (21,512 miles) on the odometer. Its first owner purchased the vehicle new from the official BMW dealer in Krefeld, Germany, and subsequently sold it to another German enthusiast. It was eventually registered in Italy in 2021. The car was acquired there by the present owner, who commissioned noted Ferrari restorer Michelotto Automobili to elevate the example to its present condition.
Exported from Italy to Colorado in February of 2023, it has been sparingly used since that time. Highly original and meticulously preserved, this M3 retains its factory-original Misano Red exterior and black leather interior. The original sales invoice, registration documents, and stamped warranty book—with mileage logs—accompany the car, which will be sold without reserve and is estimated to fetch as much as $200,000.
Click here for more photos of this 1989 BMW M3 Cecotto Edition.
