Successor to the well-liked 1602/2002 range, the 3-Series debuted in 1975 and went on to be an even better seller for the Munich firm than its predecessor.

Built initially in two-door form only, the newcomer made use of BMW’s existing overhead-camshaft engines, the latter ranging in size from a 1.6-litre four to a 2.3-litre six.

Finished in pale blue metallic with dark blue velour interior, this original and unrestored 316 two-door saloon has the four-speed manual transmission option.

‘SAT 427W’ has enjoyed only one previous owner and covered a mere 24,000-or-so miles from new as confirmed by the accompanying extensive service records.

The latter include the original service book, which was last stamped in August 2003 at circa 23,000 miles.

The vehicle comes complete with owner’s manual and tool kit, and is offered with sundry bills, road fund licence to January 2006, MoT to August 2006 and Swansea V5 registration document.

It should be noted that the engine capacity is recorded ...