Closed
Panel on, rear top up. From the front it reads as a period coupé. The look for night drives, rain scenes and dialogue inside the car.
The 1981 BMW E21 320/6 Baur TopCabriolet for hire in Barcelona
A 1981 BMW E21 320/6 converted by Baur of Stuttgart into a TopCabriolet, the model enthusiasts call the TC1. Stratosblau Metallic, four seats, based in Barcelona and hired out to film, music-video and photo productions.
What this car is
In the late seventies BMW built no 3 Series convertible. Baur, a Stuttgart coachbuilder and long-standing BMW partner, developed one on the first 3 Series, the E21. It kept the roof rails above the doors and added a fixed roll-bar across the cabin. Above the front seats, a rigid panel lifts off. Behind the bar, a soft top folds down onto the rear deck.
Baur called it the TopCabriolet. It was offered on every engine version of the E21 and ordered through BMW dealers. 4,595 were built between the late seventies and the early eighties, according to BMW Group Classic. BMW's own 3 Series convertible only arrived in the mid-eighties, on the next generation.
This one is a 320/6: the 2.0-litre straight-six with a manual gearbox. It dates from 1981 and wears Stratosblau Metallic, BMW colour code 150, a light blue. Inside: dark fabric seats, a wooden steering wheel and a period BMW cassette radio. Outside: period alloy wheels, chrome, and the black louvred pillar marked BAUR right behind each door.
It is a one-of-a-kind convertible: neither a coupé with a sunroof nor an open car without a frame. The roll-bar is always there, and it is what people recognise.
Three looks, one car
The roof comes in two parts, so the car changes silhouette between two setups. Tell us which look each scene needs; the car arrives set to the first one.
Targa
Front panel off, rear top up. The sky opens above the driver and front passenger while the rear stays covered. The photo shows the rear top raised behind the roll-bar.
Open
Panel off and rear top folded. The cabin is open over all four seats, with the roll-bar across the middle. The look for performance takes, drone shots and coast roads.
What it can play on screen
The body is from 1981, and the model was already on the road in the late seventies. The car places a scene anywhere between the late seventies and the late eighties before anyone speaks. As a well-kept classic it also works in a present-day story: a character who drives an old BMW by choice.
It is a compact German two-door turned open car, neither a sports car nor a limousine. On screen that reads as comfortable without showing off: a young architect, a doctor, a record producer, the family's second car at the summer house. With the roof open it is a holiday car on the Costa Brava or the Garraf coast. Closed, at night, it is a city car in the Eixample.
The light metallic blue holds any grade and stands out against stone, sand and pine green. The chrome catches a low sun. The cockpit, with its wooden wheel and cassette deck, carries a close-up without set dressing.
It suits feature and short films, series, music videos, commercials, fashion editorials and album covers. For a series, the car lives in Barcelona all year round: same car, same plates, same trim on every block.
Specs a crew can use
The figures the art department and the camera team usually ask for.
- Model
- BMW E21 320/6 Baur TopCabriolet (TC1)
- Year
- 1981
- Colour
- Stratosblau Metallic (code 150)
- Cabin
- Dark fabric seats, wooden steering wheel, period BMW cassette radio
- Engine
- 2.0 L straight-six, manual gearbox
- Seats
- 4
- Roof
- Closed · targa · open, with a fixed roll-bar
- Footprint
- ≈ 4.36 m long · 1.61 m wide
- Registration
- Original Spanish plate B-7264-UT
- Four seats. Talent can sit in the front or the rear; in the open look all four seats are in view from above.
- Interior shots, doors-open shots and driving shots with talent on board are standard.
- The roll-bar is in frame in all three looks. Plan it into the shot rather than around it.
- The production can use its own licensed driver, with a photo of the licence sent in advance. A driver is available on request.
- Stunts, process-trailer work or unusual exposure need a production rider on the insurance. We supply the vehicle documents for your broker.
- Authorised to drive in Barcelona's ZBE low-emission zone for professional productions. Historic-vehicle status has been applied for and is not granted yet.
Hire this car
€450 a day: 8 hours on set, VAT excluded. −5 % for two days, −10 % for three, −15 % from four. Minimum one day.
The rate includes basic comprehensive insurance, preparation (washed and detailed, fluids and tyre pressures checked), 30 km of delivery around Barcelona and WhatsApp support on the shoot day. Beyond 30 km it is €0.50/km; a flatbed for distant or closed locations is quoted separately. Filming permits are handled by the production.
We recommend booking 4 to 6 weeks ahead for a full production. Shorter notice is possible depending on availability. Send the dates, the location, a line about the scene and the roof look you want.