10/1/2011 Update: This BMW has been sold. Stay tuned for more BaT Exclusives!

From 9/28/2011:

This 1970 BMW 2800CS is offered in clean condition with the most important of our preferred upgrades including 16″ Alpina-style wheels, a 3.0L M30 engine and a Getrag 265 5-speed manual transmission. The car was originally equipped with an Automatic, and had the transmission swap and extensive reconditioning performed at 2002AD for a previous owner. The car then went to New Mexico before the current owner brought it back to SoCal in 2008. This coupe is in a condition to provide rewarding driving and turn many heads, but isn’t so perfect that it can’t be driven or is priced out of reach like many restored E9’s. It is available in Temecula, California for $15,500.

Historical info from BMW Group Classic: The car was manufactured on February 3rd 1970 and delivered to Hoffman Motors in New York City on December 4th 1970. The seller tells us that this explains why it is registered as a 1971 even though it was produced in 1970.

The seller drove the car to his home in southern California from New Mexico in May 2008 without incident. It has been his primary driver for the majority of the time since then and he tell us it is well suited for the task. The only issue with the car in the 3+ years (other than one dead battery) was a tremendous howl from the diff that was present at the time of purchase. He found, through one of the E9 forum groups, a freshly restored replacement rear end and she has been smooth and quiet ever since.

The car was repainted the original Chamonix white some time ago and for the most part has held up well, but there are a few places around the beltline molding that the paint has begun to peel (the seller tells us it is not a rust issue, and has included close-up photos of these areas). As we all know rust is the real killers on these cars, and while this one can’t be called a rust free vehicle, it is not bad for an E9 either. Even with the older respray, there are no signs of rust or bubbling coming through the paint according to the seller. He tells us that the shock towers are solid and the spare tire well is good. Some rust in the floorpan is shown in the photos but he states that the rockers seem solid.

The interior is mostly original but the seats have been recovered in blue vinyl and are very presentable with no rips or tears. All gauges work properly, even the clock keeps excellent time. The wood dash is uncracked but the finish is lifting in a couple of spots and could stand to be refinished. A Nardi wood steering wheel has been fitted, and a CD player probably from the late 1990’s. It is an A/C car but the compressor failed and was removed by the previous owner and has not been replaced. The seller tells us that all of the electric windows work, which is a rarity in this model.

The car currently drives quite well according to the seller with less than 103K miles. He tells us the M30 engine runs great and starts without hesitation, although there is a small oil leak at the timing chain cover. The original Zenith carbs have been replaced with Weber 32/36’s, and the gearbox shifts without issue.

The seller does have record of correspondence from 2006 between the previous owner and Bill Merricken of 2002AD. They outline outline some of the restoration work from memory, but not with receipts. Even so, the car does have a clean title and is in turn-key shape.

Check out the additional photos of the car in the Flickr album and slide-show below.