The 3200CS, launched in 1962, was in many ways a watershed car for BMW. It marked the end of the traditional large V-8 cars, yet it was also the earliest ancestor of today’s BMW coupes that offer high style, high performance, and high comfort in equal measure. The styling was crisp and tailored, with wide windows and a spacious interior, and it appeared very modern for its era. Numerous styling cues used on the 3200CS during its four-year lifespan went on to appear on later BMW coupes.

The 3200CS was, in its day, a style-setter, and it remains an elegant means of transportation today.

The example offered here is well-suited to being driven and enjoyed, and today, it presents nicely for road use in a classically German silver finish, with a comfortable bucket seat interior upholstered in the correct combination of vinyl and fabric. As with many of these cars, its original engine was removed some time ago, and in its place was an earlier 2.6-liter V-8 from a BMW 502 of the mid-1950s, which is as near as could be found to the original engine. A correct BMW four-speed transmission was fitted to match, and it was converted to the 3200CS’s standard floor-mounted shift lever. A modified eight-inch Ford rear axle was fitted, mated to the original Bertone drums and wheels, and the front suspension is correct. Performance remains spirited, and the car overall continues to remain exciting and a thrill to drive.