Six hundred cars, two colours — almost. The factory records list 394 in Black II, 204 in Brilliant Red, and two cars for which the colour code simply says “special paint finish”. Both are known by chassis number. What colour they wore remains unknown to this day.
And then there’s this one: a Sport Evolution in Mauritius Blue. It belongs to neither of the two exceptions — and is nevertheless genuine. Its history explains why a vehicle can contradict the factory statistics without disproving them.
An accident before first registration
The customer had ordered a Sport Evolution in Black II, and that is how the car with chassis number AC79200 left the factory. On the way to the dealer it fell off the transporter — the damage was so severe that repair was not an option. The dealer rebuilt the car on a brand-new bodyshell, this time in Mauritius Blue Metallic, number 287 in the BMW colour programme. The customer thus received a blue car where a black one had been ordered. Documentation of this accompanies the vehicle.
This means there is a Sport Evolution on the road that never officially existed as such and is nevertheless genuine in every respect: engine, transmission, body base and equipment come from the same production run as the other 599. Only the paint came later — and from the same workshop that would have delivered the car.
The odometer shows 115,855 km. The “Sport Evolution 1990 · BMW Motorsport GmbH” plaque sits undamaged on the centre console, exactly where it belongs. In early 2019, MOTORSPORT24 sold the car within Norway; it remains there to this day.
What the factory built
The figures come from original BMW documents. Each of the three breakdowns adds up to exactly 600 — three independent totals that do not align by chance.
| Paint finish | Code | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Black II | U 668 (“Schwarz II”) | 394 |
| Brilliant Red | 308 | 204 |
| Special paint finish | U 490 | 2 |
| Total | 600 |
| Upholstery | Code | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Anthracite fabric, Motorsport design | 0316 | 318 |
| Black leather | 0353 / 0393 | 280 |
| Special upholstery | 9990 | 2 |
| Total | 600 |
| Delivery | Units | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Republic of Germany | 369 | 61.5 % |
| Italy | 68 | 11.3 % |
| France | 62 | 10.3 % |
| England / Ireland | 46 | 7.7 % |
| Spain | 30 | 5.0 % |
| Belgium | 17 | 2.8 % |
| Scandinavia | 8 | 1.3 % |
| Total | 600 | 100 % |
Six vehicles stood apart and are included in the 600: a development car without underbody protection that served as a show and photo car and underwent a special inspection, two press cars, one car with a car phone and roof antenna fitted at special request, and two with special-request equipment.
The two special paint finishes
Contrary to what is often claimed, the two exceptions are not anonymous. The production data sheets name them:
| VIN | Colour code | Upholstery | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC79566 | U 490 special paint finish | 0393 black leather | 21.02.1990 |
| AC79578 | U 490 special paint finish | 0316 anthracite Motorsport design | 20.02.1990 |
| AC79588 | U 668 Black II | 9990 special upholstery | 23.02.1990 |
| AC79589 | U 668 Black II | 9990 special upholstery | 22.02.1990 |
Both special-paint cars went to the Federal Republic of Germany, one with leather, one with fabric. All four vehicles carry the type code 1007 and come from the same week in February 1990. AC79578 additionally carries the special request 320A model badge omitted — a car without a model designation on the rear, in a colour the factory did not otherwise supply.
What that colour was is recorded nowhere. The code U 490 only means: special paint finish. In enthusiast circles the two are considered to be white — this is not documented, and as long as it isn’t, we won’t state it either.
AC79200, the blue car, is neither of the two. It is one of the 394 in Black II — the repaint took place after the factory records were made. In practical terms, this means: anyone who sees a Sport Evolution in a third colour is most likely looking at a repaint. The question then is not “genuine or not” but “documented or not” — and that is precisely what determines the value.
The two special upholsteries
AC79588 and AC79589 carry the upholstery code 9990 — special upholstery, with no further detail. Both are Black II, both from the same week. What sat in the cars remains open. Two explanations are in circulation, neither confirmed:
- Part-leather seats. Seat surfaces in M-fabric with leather side bolsters — a combination that existed on the M3, but not in the Sport Evolution options list.
- The optional Recaro sports seats, which were available to order in the E30 of the 1980s — so not the extremely contoured seats of the Sport Evolution.
Anyone who knows either of the two vehicles or has first-hand photos can settle the question.
How to identify a Sport Evolution
When the paint no longer gives any information, the rest must speak. The Sport Evolution carries enough features that no other M3 has.
The engine — the hardest criterion
Every specification stage of the S14 carries its own code. It cannot be repainted or retrofitted:
| Code | Version | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 234EA | 195 PS with catalyst, 200 PS without catalyst | M3 series and Evolution 1987 |
| 234S2 | 215 PS, with catalyst | Cecotto and Ravaglia |
| 234S1 | 220 PS, without catalyst | Evolution II |
| 254S1 | 238 PS | Sport Evolution |
| 204EA | 2.0 litre | 320is |
If the engine of an alleged Sport Evolution does not say 254S1, the matter is settled — regardless of spoilers, wheels and plaque. One qualification applies: the Evolution from 1987 produces 200 PS like a series M3 without catalyst and carries the same code 234EA. In this case the engine does not help — here the white intake manifold with Motorsport stripes and the body features decide.
In the engine bay
The S14B25 with 2,467 cm³ produces 175 kW (238 PS). The valve cover has black wrinkle-finish paint — on the Evolution the intake manifold was white with Motorsport stripes, on the Cecotto matte in body colour. The most striking sign are the four red spark plug connectors. And a detail hardly anyone knows: between the bonnet and the wings there are bonded rubber seals, which close the gap and improve airflow.
At the wheels
7½J×16 ET27, BBS cross-spoke, part number 36112226804. The wheel centre is finished in Nogaro Silver (243) — not silver as on the Evolution, not black as on the Cecotto.
On the body
Adjustable front and rear additional spoilers, wings cut higher, brake cooling ducts in the front bumper — and lighter glazing: rear side windows and rear window measure 3 mm instead of 5 mm.
In the cabin
A feature visible in every photo yet rarely mentioned: the fuel gauge displays numbers instead of lines — markings at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 litres, with a 63-litre tank capacity. To be read rather than estimated. Next to it on the right sits the coolant temperature gauge, while oil temperature is integrated into the tachometer.
Interior
Extremely contoured sports seats — not the Recaro of the Cecotto —, plus dedicated seat consoles with additional height adjustment. Red seatbelts, M-Technic II steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake lever in suede. From the factory, anthracite fabric 0316 was standard, black Nappa leather optional. The blue car is a leather-equipped car, and thus belongs to the 280.
One feature that is not a distinguishing mark, however, is the M-Technic driver’s footrest: the Evolution, Cecotto and Sport Evolution all had it equally. Anyone who sees it only knows that they are not looking at a series M3.
What originality means today
A repainted car is generally seen as a deduction in collector circles. This case shows that the rule has exceptions: the repaint took place before delivery to the first owner, at his request, carried out by the dealer, on a brand-new bodyshell — and it is documented. That is something different from a repaint carried out under a third owner.
What remains decisive is the paperwork. Without the accompanying documentation, AC79200 would be a vehicle with a nice story and a colour that does not appear in the data sheet — precisely the pattern that makes any prospective buyer wary. With it, it is a documented special case.
Anyone examining a Sport Evolution should therefore proceed in this order: engine code, then chassis number and production data sheet, then the remaining features on the vehicle — and only at the very end, the paint.
What remains open
- The colour of the two special paint finishes AC79566 and AC79578. “U 490” does not name one.
- The special upholstery of AC79588 and AC79589 — part-leather or Recaro?
- Upholstery code 0393. The factory brochure lists 0353 for the leather, whereas the data sheet for AC79566 lists 0393. Whether 0393 denotes the regular leather trim or is specific to this individual vehicle remains unresolved.
Anyone able to view production data sheets of further leather-equipped cars could settle this last question at a glance. We welcome any information.
All photographs of the vehicle
Sources
- BMW production documents for the M3 Sport Evolution (paint, upholstery and country breakdown)
- Four production data sheets from the BMW dealer system, retrieved in April 2004: AC79566, AC79578, AC79588, AC79589
- BMW M3 Sport Evolution factory brochure
- RealOEM, assembly groups 36 and 52, vehicle E30 M3
- Vehicle description AC79200, MOTORSPORT24
- Technical data S14B25: 2,467 cm³, 175 kW (238 PS)
Further reading on s14.de
- How to identify a Sport Evolution from the inside
- The colours of the special editions: BMW M3 E30
- Four beats six: why the M3 E30 never got a six-cylinder
- Group A: how the M3 E30 shaped the touring car era
- M3 E30 versus 190E Evo II: who won the DTM duel?
- Model page: BMW M3 Sport Evolution (E30)
- Model page: BMW M3 (E30)
Bildnachweise
- Own photograph · MOTORSPORT24