So Long, Sixer
Silbersix crosses the finish line.

Thirty years. Thirty cars.

Seems like a lot, until I think of all the cars that have yet to sit in my driveway.

So many cars, so little time (and money)...

One car stands out on my list of 30 because of its five-year tenure in my garage. While the list contains some winners, including an Alfa Romeo Spider, an E12 '81 BMW 528i, and a Cadillac Seville STS, no car has been more significant in my life than the BMW 6 Series.

When it appeared in 1976 as BMW’s replacement for the revered 3.0CS, most reviewers hailed the 6 Series as a worthy successor. Granted, Munich’s new coupe wasn’t as rorty as the old 3.0, but it was infinitely safer, more refined and ultimately more capable as a grand touring coupe.

The 6 Series always had a price to match its elevated status as the flagship of the line. My ‘83 633CSi stickered at over $40k; even in 2003 dollars, that’s a lot of money. It was a huge amount 20 years ago for what was essentially a 5 Series with a coupe body.

Nonetheless, this gentleman’s express stayed in production longer than any BMW series before or since because of its unique blend of elegance and dynamic capability. A significant portion of the Sixer's character relates to BMW's unique aviation heritage. The experience of taking the wheel behind that magnificent straight-6 engine and angled cockpit is, in many ways, akin to flying.

In light of BMW’s loss of focus these days via flame-surfaced bodies, console-mounted computer knobs and other such foolishness, the longevity of the 6 Series testifies to the wisdom of BMW’s traditional design philosophy. The Sixer still works today because the people who created it were intent on honoring BMW’s heritage and clientele.

It's neither the fastest nor the flashiest BMW, but the original 6 Series endures because of its aesthetic and dynamic excellence. That self-evident combination has always marked truly great cars. It’s the essence of why the Sixer’s place in the pantheon of coupes is forever secure.

Yet time marches on. This morning my wife and I sit in our new home in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains of east Tennessee after having lived in northwest Arkansas for 14 years as expatriate Volunteers. New carpeting, new hardwood in the foyer, a new John Deere lawn tractor and some other needed things are now ours because a nice man in Illinois took my silver Sixer home with him last weekend.

Saturday, I watched in silence as Silbersix was loaded onto a car carrier for the trip north.

It was like saying goodbye to an old friend.

On the one hand, I knew that her new owner was conversant in the ways of BMWs and had the wherewithal to keep her in the manner in which she deserved. And I knew that the Sixer deserved better than being driven barely a thousand miles a year, all I could manage since retiring her from daily-driver status a couple of years ago.

On the other hand, Silbersix represents more than just a lot of wonderful memories. The ‘83 633CSi and my other two Sixers were the catalysts that spurred my involvement in the BMW Car Club of America and all the great people and activities associated with that organization. And Silbersix was instrumental in firing my passion for writing as a CCA chapter newsletter editor for five years. This website wouldn’t exist except for the silver Sixer.

In any case, here we are at the finish line.

They say you should never look back, so I’ll leave that to my other stories.

Suffice it to say, I wouldn’t have missed my 6 Series ownership experience for the world. If you’re lucky, maybe you can say the same.

So here’s to you, Silbersix. I'd do it all again. -RS

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