Owning This Auction-Ready 1984 Alpina C1 2.3 Is a Petrolhead’s Fairytale

As rare as hen’s teeth

Every now and then, the car industry, as changing as a deck of cards, manages to underestimate models that otherwise are fuel for every gearhead's fire.

The BMW E30 323i-based Alpina C1 is one of them. True connaisseurs know the real value of this piece of engineering, yet we're telling you this is because we stubled upon a mint-condition Alpina C1 2.3 that's waiting for an owner.

According to Bring a Trailer, this particular model has a tad over 64,000 kilometers under its belt (which is roughly around 40,000 miles) and was imported from Japan. It features a 2.3-liter in-line six mill and a five-speed Getrag gearbox, and the ad specifies that 'the only modification from stock is the removal of the catalytic converter in favor of a straight pipe.'

If the ad tells the truth, then the car can still go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 213 km/h (133 mph), thanks to a stable of 170 hp and 225 Nm (166 lb-ft) of torque.

The original wheels were refinished, and the car received cosmetic and mechanic tune-ups worth $5,000. Also, it's VIN plate shows the chassis #9538695 was built in Buchloe, Germany, for the Japanese market.

The current bid for the car was $15,250 at the time of writing, but the bidding ends in four days, so there's not much time left before this gem finds a new home.