BMW didn’t launch its first production wagon until 1987 when the 3 Series Touring (E30) came out. However, what if we were to tell you the company did make an estate more than a decade earlier? No, we’re not referring to the E3 wagon conversions done by third-party companies, like the London-based FLM Panelcraft. BMW built a long-roof E3 in-house and never sold it to customers.
BMW Classic has published historic images on Instagram showing a pair of E3 Kombi service cars. These were used in the 1970s for the Motorsport division, while the 2002 participated in rally events worldwide. Intrigued by the wagon duo, we asked BMW Classic to tell us the story behind these cars and what happened to the wagons. Sadly, not even the company could unravel the mystery.
A post published on the e9coupe.com forums in February 2011 mentions three cars. The wagon conversion trio was apparently based on the 3.0S sedan and modified to accommodate a roll cage. In addition, the rear seat area was changed for storage and for people to sleep inside. The post’s author said he was restoring one of the three surviving cars but never followed up with the finished project. BMW told us it assumes the cars were scrapped at some point, although one might’ve survived.
Either way, it’s a missing puzzle piece in BMW’s history. We’re particularly intrigued by the decision to use the name “Kombi,” which sounds more utilitarian than Touring. The E3 Kombi was never intended for series production. After the E30 Touring came out in 1987, BMW doubled down on wagons in 1992 with the 5 Series Touring (E34). The latter spawned the first-ever M Touring, of which just 891 units were assembled. The M5 Touring (E61) was almost as exclusive, with 1,009 cars built.
If you do know more about the E3 Kombi, please reach out!
Photos: BMW Classic / Instagram
