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HomePick of the DayPick of the Day: 1996 BMW Z3 roadster commemorating James Bond film

Pick of the Day: 1996 BMW Z3 roadster commemorating James Bond film

The sports car was created in homage to its co-starring role in the 1995 movie ‘Goldeneye’

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Movie cars have always held special appeal for collectors.  Some people became DeLorean enthusiasts because of Back to the Future, others have created replicas of the Ford LTD “family truckster” station wagon from National Lampoon’s Vacation, and one particular BMW from the mid-1990s has its own place on the big screen and in movie buffs’ hearts.

The Pick of the Day is a low-mileage 1996 BMW Z3 roadster offered by a private seller in Portland, Oregon on ClassicCars.com.  This car is one of a 100-unit production run to commemorate the car’s appearance (or at least, the appearance of a car just like it) in the 17th film in the James Bond movie series, called GoldenEye.

BMW
The roadster sports a Oregon license plate that says GOLDNI (Golfeneye)

The film premiered in November 1995 with a budget of $60 million. It starred Pierce Brosnan and another memorable cast member:  an Atlantic Blue 1996 BMW Z3 roadster with a beige leather interior.

For a mere $35,000 at the time, Bond fans could snag a life-sized piece of memorabilia from the film.  The James Bond Edition Z3 roadster was marketed through the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogue.  All 100 units were configured in the same color combination as the movie car, and they had distinguishing features when compared to other Z3s, including unique wheels, a dash plaque, 007 Bond floor mats and chrome trim. 

BMW
A 007 James Bond Z3 roadster plaque is mounted on the dashboard

“This is number 34 out of 100,” the listing states.  “Very rare and hard to find, this Z3 has 39,000 original miles and is a 5-speed transmission (50 were automatics).” 

The Z3 launched in late 1995 as a 1996 model, riding on the E36 3-Series platform and available initially as a two-seat roadster, then a year later as a coupe.  Production took place in Greer, South Carolina, making it the first BMW to be manufactured outside Germany.  

Power for the GoldenEye cars came from a 1.9-liter inline-four, rated at 138 horsepower and 133 lb-ft of torque.  The seller states that the car has been loved and maintained by Bond fans, and it’s sporting a replacement retractable top.

Perhaps just as exciting as the car itself is its accompanying commemorative documentation.  The sale includes dealership displays, a “License to Sell” kit, brochures, a VHS tape, letters from Neiman Marcus, and more.  Based on the photo gallery in the listing, this Z3 even received an award from the Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance. The original window sticker is icing on the cake.

The seller is asking $19,500 for this Z3, which is a pretty fun piece of memorabilia even if it wasn’t the actual one driven by “Bond, James Bond,” in the movie.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

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Tyson Hugie
Tyson Hugie
Tyson Hugie is a Phoenix-based automotive enthusiast who has been writing for The Journal since 2016. His favorite automotive niche is 1980s and 1990s Japanese cars, and he is a self-diagnosed “Acura addict” since he owns a collection of Honda and Acura cars from that era. Tyson can usually be found on weekends tinkering on restoration projects, attending car shows, or enjoying the open road. He publishes videos each week to his YouTube channel and is also a contributing author to Arizona Driver Magazine, KSLCars.com, NSX Driver Magazine, and other automotive publications. His pride and joy is a 1994 Acura Legend LS coupe with nearly 600,000 miles on the odometer, but he loves anything on four wheels and would someday like to own a 1950 Buick Special like his late grandfather’s.

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