There’s rare, and then there’s Baur rare. Only 311 BMW 328i Baur Topcabriolets were ever built — a quirky, coachbuilt blend of sedan practicality and open-air freedom that today stands as one of the most unusual offshoots in BMW’s long lineage of driver’s cars.
If the name “Baur” rings a faint bell, that’s because the German coachbuilder has been entwined with BMW’s history for decades. Long before BMW started cranking out its own convertibles, Karosserie Baur was the go-to company for chopping roofs and adding folding tops. From pre-war Mercedes tourers to the E21 3 Series “TopCabriolet,” Baur earned a reputation for doing what manufacturers wouldn’t — or couldn’t — do themselves.
By the time the E36 3 Series arrived in the early 1990s, BMW had its own factory-built convertible, so Baur needed a new angle. The result was the Topcabriolet TC4, a fascinating middle ground between coupe, cabriolet, and sedan. It kept the E36’s four-door layout intact but added a folding targa-style top and removable rear roof section. Think of it as a convertible designed for people who still wanted to bring their kids — or at least their dignity — along for the ride.
And if that wasn’t strange enough, this particular version came powered by the M52B28, BMW’s 2.8-liter inline-six. With 190 horsepower and a creamy, torque-rich delivery, it was the most potent non-M engine of its day — just a few ponies shy of the American-market M3. Paired with a five-speed manual, the 328i Baur wasn’t just a novelty; it could properly hustle.
The example seen here wears Montrealblau Metallic, a deep, rich blue that flatters the E36’s clean proportions. But no paint can distract from the architectural oddity of that roofline — a curious lattice of canvas and glass that looks equal parts genius and madness. To modern eyes, it’s somewhere between a Saab 900 Cabriolet and a Volkswagen Golf Cabrio’s “basket handle” frame. The engineering rationale was safety; the aesthetic outcome, well… debatable.
Interestingly, BMW never seemed quite sure what to call it. Some literature refers to the model as the Baur TC4 or TC4 Landaulet, yet this car’s badges proudly proclaim 328i Baur Topcabriolet. Maybe BMW was just showing off the bigger engine. Either way, the name is almost as long as the roof mechanism’s folding sequence.
For Baur, this was the last hurrah. After decades of crafting convertibles for others, the company pivoted away from building whole cars. Its resume, however, includes some heavy hitters: final assembly of the BMW M1 and even the Porsche 959. Not bad company for the folks behind one of the strangest 3 Series ever made.
Today, the 328i Baur Topcabriolet is a rolling time capsule — a reminder of when coachbuilders still experimented at the edges of mainstream design, when BMWs could be both practical and peculiar, and when the line between sedan and convertible wasn’t yet fully drawn. It’s a car for enthusiasts who appreciate quirks, craftsmanship, and a healthy dose of “what on earth is that?”
Because in a sea of predictable classics, few things stand out like a four-door convertible with a BMW roundel and a Baur badge.
Source: BMWBlog
