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BMW names four UK Classic partners to keep older models on the road
BMW UK has appointed four main dealerships as Classic partners, equipped to service, repair and restore models built as far back as 1960, including the E46 3 Series.
By George Kensington · 4 min read
BMW owners with an ageing 3 Series now have a new official route to keep their cars in showroom condition. The UK arm of the German manufacturer has appointed four existing main dealerships as Classic partners, giving them the authority and equipment to service, repair and restore models that ceased production as recently as 2010. The programme covers all BMW generations built as far back as 1960, not just the E46 3 Series sold between 1998 and 2006.
The four chosen sites are Halliwell Jones Wilmslow, Sytner Stevenage, Group 1 Hailsham and Dick Lovett Bristol. Each had to demonstrate specialist expertise in classic BMW vehicles, including heritage knowledge, access to original BMW Classic parts and adherence to factory-approved standards of care. BMW says the appointments ensure British customers can access dedicated support locally while benefiting from the assurance associated with the global BMW Classic programme, which already operates across Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Australia.
Behind the scenes, the dealers are supported by BMW Group Classic, which helps source genuine spare parts and, where these are no longer available, approved reproduction items. The organisation also issues vehicle birth certificates detailing a car's precise build date and original specification, and runs a maintenance and restoration workshop within the main plant network in Munich, primarily for older historic vehicles.
To illustrate what the programme means in practice, Group 1 Hailsham in East Sussex showcased a remarkable restoration carried out by long-serving technician Adam Hook and his son. Over five years, using the dealership's workshop and bodyshop, the pair restored an E36 BMW 328i auto originally sold new by the dealer in 1996 and owned by Hook since 2009. The project, Hook says, turned machinery and metal into shared time, pride and lasting memories.
The finished car, however, is not a standard 328i. Hook, who as a 16-year-old dreamed of an E36 M3 Evo but could not afford one, built his own version. He replaced the 328i's engine with an Alpina B3 3.2 unit mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, upgraded the suspension with fully adjustable coilovers, fitted a new back axle, control arms, an M3 anti-roll bar, full M3 exhaust and M3 suspension arms, and installed a genuine Evo interior. He then painted rather than powder-coated the running gear so any chips could be easily touched up, coated the chassis in period-correct amber Waxoyl, and had the body resprayed with the authentic orange peel finish.
The dealership's aftersales manager, Steve Packer, said the Classic partner programme gives the workshop full access to BMW's support team in Munich, the company's classic parts inventory and approved suppliers. The workshop has also been acquiring the necessary tooling and equipment, some of it from long-serving technicians pleased with the programme's insistence that parts should be repaired rather than replaced wherever possible. Two master technicians are on staff, one of whom is currently in Munich learning about carburetors, points and condensers.
Asked about pricing for older models, Packer declined to give specifics. Every job is unique, he said, but the dealership already runs a Value Servicing programme offering lower prices for cars more than three years old. For older classic cars, the message is simple: talk to us, we want to help.
