Corgi VA13702 BMW 318i (E30), 'Design' Convertible, Neon Green 1/43

£19.99
MRP £19.99

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(Product Ref 97851)
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The convertible version of the E30 went into production in right-hand-drive form in June 1986, six months after the left-hand-drive domestic models. It was initially only offered with 6-cylinder engines, but in response to customer demand the more economical 4-cylinder 1800cc engine was added. This was followed in April 1991 by the 318i 'Design Convertible' edition which, although developed by the Motorsport division, was a purely cosmetic exercise using the standard 318i mechanical package. Made in limited numbers and offered in just two metallic colours, Neon Blue or Neon Green, it featured BBS cross-spoked alloy wheels, anthracite sports seats and other extras which, at under £20,000, made it a very attractive showroom proposition.

The engineering and design development of the E30 convertible's hood was done by Shaer Waechter of Dusseldorf who succeeded in designing a mechanism that BMW approved for factory production despite previous contractors Baur and Karmann submitting proposals. Engineers dubbed the hood's folding action 'top-dead-centre' and had to support the hood frame with six transverse hood bars and seven longitudinal side bars. A total of 28 Teflon seated bearings were used on this large 4-seater's hood which were claimed to be life-long maintenance free and gave the hand operated mechanism, which packed neatly away under a panel behind the rear seats, a very smooth easy to use action. Power operated systems were developed later but the initial sophisticated and very watertight design remained.

Engine: 1796cc 4IL SOHC
Power: 115bhp@5500RPM
Torque: 122lb.ft@4250rpm
0-60mph: 12 seconds
Max speed: 116mph

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