A rare E30 BMW M3 Cecotto Edition is now for sale
The E30 BMW M3 is already a highly sought after icon of the '80s. However, if having that isn't enough, you still have a chance to be the king or queen of your next Radwood event with a 1989 BMW M3 Cecotto Edition, now available for sale in the U.K. It was the first M3 to use BMW's updated S14 2.3-liter four, rated at 215 horsepower. While these eventually became the Euro-spec standard, the M3 Evolution models, only 480 Cecotto Editions were built.
Italian-Venezuelan driver Johnny Cecotto was a racing phenom. Before he was 20 years old, Cecotto achieved a third-place finish at 1975's running of the prestigious Daytona 200 motorcycle race after starting last due to a technical issue. It was considered one of the greatest performances in modern motorcycle racing history. That same year, he became the youngest rider to win a Grand Prix motorcycle event. A year after that, he entered F1.
Unfortunately, a serious crash that broke both Cocetto's legs ended his promising F1 career. After regaining his health, Cocetto began began driving BMWs in Group A Touring Car competition. After a stint with Volvo, Cocetto returned to BMW behind the wheel of a then-new M3.
Cecotto helped establish the M3 as one of the greatest touring cars ever built, winning both the Spa and Nürburgring 24 Hours with one. He logged numerous BMW victories in DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, or German Touring Car Championship), BTCC (British Touring Car Championship) and ITCC (Italian Touring Car Championship) during the golden age of Group A racing, an era that spawned cars like the M3, Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3 and 2.5, and R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R.
In addition to the engine, Cecotto Edition M3s have thinner rear glass for weight reduction, Evolution II aero, chrome exhaust tips and special 16-inch BBS wheels in black mesh with contrasting lip. Under the hood, the S14's valve cover is color-matched from the factory with one of the three exterior colors available on the Cecotto Edition — Misano Red, Nogaro Silver, or Macao Blue. None of these were available on the standard M3.
The Cecotto Edition interior is an '80s dream, finished in M-Technic fabric with copious use of the M tricolor and an illuminated shift knob. A plaque on the center console denotes the build sequence. The example for sale is number 341 out of 505, as the Cecotto Editions were built alongside 25 units of an even rarer but similar U.K.-exclusive Ravaglia Edition. The Italian driver, together with Cecotto, cemented the M3's place in touring car legend.
The car for sale is finished in arguably the best of the available colors, Macao Blue, a deep purplish-blue that looks almost black under indoor lighting, matched with Silver Bison interior. It was originally delivered in Germany but made its way to the U.K. while under the care of four owners. The odometer reads 87,405 miles (it was converted from km to miles at one point) and comes with a thorough dossier of maintenance records. In March, a Misano Red example with similar mileage sold for $75,000, but this one, available from Fast Classics, asks $118,000.
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