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Abandoned Repair Shop Has a Yardful of Derelict BMWs, Rare Gems Included

When talking about derelict classic cars, we usually think about junkyards packed with vehicles waiting to be scrapped or parted out. But many vehicles are also waiting for a second chance on abandoned properties, like the repair shop you see here.
Abandoned BMW E9 9 photos
Photo: The Bearded Explorer/YouTube
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Documented by "The Bearded Explorer," this place is a mystery as far as its location goes. While our host usually explores places like this from Great Britain, this property is somewhere in mainland Europe. And I say "somewhere" because while the guys mention "if you come to Belgium, make sure you bring a coat," at the beginning of the video, some of the cars shown on camera have French license plates.

But that's not surprising, because vloggers that explore these types of places rarely provide exact coordinates to prevent too many people from disturbing them (most likely at the owner's request).

Moving on, this place used to be a car repair shop at some point. And based on the footage, it's safe to assume that it was shut down and abandoned following a fire that made the entire roof collapse.

The owner left everything behind, including the cars his employees were working on in the shop, as well as a big collection of vehicles parked in the massive yard behind the building.

Abandoned repair shop
Photo: The Bearded Explorer/YouTube
Granted, most of them are common European rigs from the 2000s and 1990s, so nothing spectacular to write home about. But the property is also home to a few desirable classics, including a couple of rare and valuable BMWs.

The highlight of this video pops up at the 3:10-minute mark, almost hidden in a small room in the shop. It's buried in junk and missing a few components, so it's barely recognizable at first glance, but the close-up footage reveals it's a BMW E9.

Yup, that's the predecessor to the first-generation 6 Series and the platform that spawned the iconic 3.0 CSL.

Granted, this abandoned Bimmer is not a desirable and expensive CSL. It's more like a 2800 CS from the early days, but it's still a hard-to-find classic. Built from 1968 to 1971, the 2800 CS saw daylight in only 6,283 units. And if it's not a 2800 CS or a 3.0 CSi from the mid-1970s, it's even rarer regardless of the badge.

Abandoned repair shop
Photo: The Bearded Explorer/YouTube
Anyway, the E9 is one of the most beautiful BMWs ever built and it's really sad to see this one sitting like that in an old shop. This coupe should definitely be restored.

Moving into the yard, our host discovers even more BMWs. Most of them are E46 and E36 models, but the stash also includes at least a handful of second-generation (E30) 3 Series compacts.

And I'm not only talking about coupes and sedans, you'll also see an estate and even a convertible, both of which are far more difficult to find nowadays. Sadly, all of them are in poor shape.

But there's an even cooler Bimmer in this yard. It pops up at the 9:20-minute mark in the form of a first-generation 3 Series (E21). It's a very desirable two-door coupe version, but it's in even worse shape than most E30s parked here. It's missing most of the rear fascia, the interior is junked, and the engine is incomplete. What a shame!

Abandoned repair shop
Photo: The Bearded Explorer/YouTube
If you're a fan of old Volkswagen Golfs, the property is also loaded with second-generation hatchbacks. I haven't seen any GTI, but I spotted at least one GTD. Yes, it's not as cool as its gasoline-powered sibling, but you don't see many of them on the road nowadays.

Oh, there's also a Porsche 944 hidden among the Renaults, Peugeots, and the more recent BMWs that populate the yard. Hit the play button below to check them all out.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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