BMW E36 Rene Magritte edition model
Everyone should already know that BMW AG has a strong connection to art from the spectacular Art Cars from BMW.
In addition to the Art Car by Sandro Chia, the E36 model also featured two very special limited edition models. On the one hand the special model “Paul Klee” and on the other hand the special model “Rene Magritte”. Both were models that were only available as convertibles. While the special model Paul Klee was only available on the German market, the special model Rene Magritte was only intended for Belgian customers and markets and, contrary to the Art Cars, it could also be ordered or bought by interested parties or customers of BMW.
This special model, which was only intended for the Belgian market and could only be bought in Belgium, was produced by BMW at the end of 1994 in honor of the Belgian artist Rene Magritte (born 1889 in Lessines Belgium, died August 15, 1967 in Schaerbeek Belgium) in a limited number of 100 vehicles produced as 320i and 318i convertibles.
Rene Magritte was a master of surrealism, a movement that has seen itself as an art of living against traditional norms since 1920, and has since been its own category and art direction. One of his most famous works is “The Pleasure Principle”.
This also served BMW as a template or motif for the special “Magritte” model. On the one hand, it was attached to the outside as a sticker together with the words “Magritte” on both rear side walls.
Also the backrests of the front seats, as well as the glove box strip and the headrests, which were covered in leather and embossed with the lettering “Magritte” with a leather stamp, as well as the wind deflector delivered with the vehicle in which the lettering “Magritte” was also printed and at the start of series production this Belonged to a special model, distanced itself from the other BMW models at the time and represented the difference to the series vehicles.
The artist was also commemorated with a special plaque on the Front enginbay. In addition, all these vehicles received a corresponding certificate with the serial number of the special model, which was signed by both BMW AG and the estate administrator Rene Magritte’s Charly Herscovici.
In addition, the leather BMW certificate folder in which the respective vehicle certificate with the certificate of authenticity and serial and vehicle number of the limited vehicle was also provided with a “Magritte leather embossing”.
This is the certificate that was signed by BMW AG and the estate administrator Rene Magrittes Charly Herscovici and was delivered with each of the 100 vehicles produced
Below is the advertising brochure that BMW AG sent to all BMW dealers in the Netherlands in the spring of 1994 to announce the “Magritte” special model that will soon be available;
Below are a few nice detailed shots of the BMW E36 special model Magritte …
Market situation / market analysis and increase in value
A realistic market analysis for this special model is very difficult. The problem is that this special model is not well known. BMW also did not advertise this special model in the media at that time. Apart from a brochure, which was actually printed in very small numbers, BMW also placed almost no advertising in the mass media, which we think this special model actually deserves.
However, this has nothing to do with the little appreciation or attention that BMW has given this great vehicle, but unfortunately this was company policy at the time. In general, BMW did almost no advertising for its models in the mass media in the 1990s. According to the management of the time, BMW did not need any advertising for its products to increase sales, since BMW had taken the view that there was no better vehicle on the market than BMW vehicles anyway.
Furthermore, especially with the Rene Magritte Edition, this vehicle was only offered in a limited number of 100 vehicles and these were only offered on the Belgian market and therefore this special model was not offered at all in Germany. Only purists and enthusiasts know about the existence of this special model, which makes the group of potential buyers even smaller. In addition, this special model was only built as a 318i and 320i, so that the motorization here is not really an exception or a reason to buy, so that the vehicle differs from other 318i or 320i convertibles from the E36 series only in the tiny details and in detail.
With these really very unfavorable framework conditions, with which we want to try with this article to make this unique model better known among fans, purists and collectors, to counteract this, we have to deal with the market / price analysis of this model and to note.
One of these vehicles, number 94 of 100, was put up for auction on January 25, 2023 and February 08, 2023 on the platform of the auction house “Catawiki Classic.com”. A report for the vehicle was also prepared here. The appraiser determined a value between €8,600 and €11,000 based on the vehicle with a total mileage of almost 193,000 km.
However, in the promotions, the highest bids on January 25, 2023 were €4,075 (US$4,450) and on February 08, 2023 €4,301 (US$4,609), so the vehicle was not sold by the owner.
From our point of view, the appraiser’s estimate is realistic at the current time given the general condition of the vehicle, soft top and rear window need to be replaced, engine leaking, rust on the rear wheel arch and the boot edge (under the rubber seal) and on the E36 typical spots on the entire underbody February 2023, realistically. In condition 2+ we would value this model at a realistic €21,500 to €25,000. If you compare this estimate with a well-preserved 328i convertible from the E36 series, this estimate also reflects the current price development on the market.
Below we have listed the two auction brochures for the vehicle on January 25th, 2023 and February 8th, 2023 as a PDF. In the following we have more pictures of the places we mentioned that are defective on the vehicle and have contributed to the overall assessment.
1999 BMW 318i Cabriolet VIN_ WBABH31050EZ04797 – CLASSIC.COM
BMW – 318i cabriolet – 1999 – Catawiki
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