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The E30 M3 pickup is arguably the most unlikely BMW ever to wear the famous roundel, and for nearly three decades, the wider world had no idea it existed. Back in 1986, the very same year the original M3 hit the road, someone inside the Munich works decided to grab a convertible bodyshell, slice off the rear cabin, weld in a load bed, and put the bizarre creation to work shifting parts and equipment around the factory. It served quietly until 2012, was finally shown publicly in 2016, and this year, marking forty years of the M3 nameplate, BMW has rolled it out at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como.
The decision to base the pickup on the cabriolet was no accident. According to BMW Blog, the soft-top body already carried extra chassis reinforcement to compensate for the absent roof, making it far better suited to the rigours of haulage than a standard coupé or saloon. The trademark flared arches were ditched, leaving the truck with a leaner, more workmanlike stance that hides its M3 bloodline at a casual glance.
Mechanically, the workhorse did not start life as a true M car. In its earliest days, it was powered by a detuned 2.0-litre four-cylinder good for 192 horsepower, plenty to lug crates between buildings but a long way short of motorsport-spec fireworks. At some point during its working career, however, engineers fitted the proper 2.3-litre S14 unit from the road-going M3, the naturally aspirated four-pot that produced around 200 horsepower and went on to become one of the most celebrated engines in touring car folklore.
The E30 M3 family has never been short of standout variants. Buyers and collectors will already know the 238-horsepower Sport Evolution, the stripped-back Cecotto edition, and the Roberto Ravaglia special commemorating his 1987 touring car crown. Standard E30 M3s now trade hands for around $72,000 on average, with Sport Evolutions climbing well beyond that figure as the years pass.
Yet none of those production specials can claim what this one-off truck offers. A factory-built body conversion, a documented near-three-decade career inside BMW’s own facilities, and the heart of an S14 engine combine to make it a piece of automotive history with no equal. Conservative auction whispers suggest it could clear $1 million if BMW ever chose to let it go, though given its place in the brand’s heritage collection, that seems unlikely. For now, the world’s only M3 pickup gets to enjoy the spotlight it spent 26 years missing.
