3.0 S
Bmw · on record 1994 to 2025
The BMW 3.0 S was a large 1970s BMW saloon powered by a 3 litre straight 6, sitting in the executive class before the modern 7 Series naming system was introduced. It appealed to buyers who wanted the particular mix of space, image and engineering represented by the 3.0 S rather than a generic transport choice. The 3.0 S often began life with private or company owners covering substantial mileage, while later survival depends increasingly on condition, value and access to specialist maintenance.
GROWING
Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.
37
licensed vehicles
2025 census
2025 census
59.7% of the peak fleet remains licensed
41
declared SORN
total surviving
peak 62 in 1994 · +2 vehicles a year, five year trend
Population history
Licensed and SORN vehicles at each census. The filters below apply to the family population, MOT and registration figures. They do not alter the generation history above.
Licensed
SORN
Latest census observation
Inside the surviving fleet
AutoCensus parses every DVLA variant description, so the fleet can be read by fuel and specification rather than as one number.
First registrations by year
When surviving examples first joined the British fleet.
Recent UK first registrations
This family is no longer sold new. These figures are imports and historic vehicles joining the British register for the first time.
MOT reliability
DVSA test results for this family, 2006 to 2017.
Pass rate by year
| Failure reason | Failures | Share of all tests |
|---|---|---|
| The windscreen washers do not provide enough liquid to clear the windscreen in conjunction with the wiper(s) | 10 | 18.9% |
| The grooves of the tread pattern are not at least 1.6mm throughout a continuous band comprising the central three-quarters of the breadth of tread, and round the entire outer circumference of the tyre | 7 | 13.2% |
| A seat belt not securely fixed to the seat or to the structure of the vehicle. for example, a fixing bolt not secure. | 5 | 9.4% |
| Deliberate modification which significantly reduces the original strength, excessive corrosion, severe distortion, a fracture or an inadequate repair of a load bearing member or its supporting structure or supporting panelling within 30cm of any sub- | 5 | 9.4% |
| A direction indicator inoperative or less than 50% of the light sources illuminating | 5 | 9.4% |
| A rear registration plate lamp with any lamp not working | 5 | 9.4% |
| A hazard warning device inoperative | 4 | 7.5% |
| Amalgamation of failures for all headlamp testers | 3 | 5.7% |
Counted across every recorded test, 2006 to 2017. Advisories are excluded.
Where the 3.0 S remains
Based on MOT test locations, 2017. Test location is a proxy: a vehicle is counted where it was last tested, not where it is kept.
| Postcode area | Vehicles tested | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| PR | 1 | 100% |
| NW | 1 | 100% |
How this record was calculated
LATEST CENSUS2025
POPULATION SOURCEDVLA VEH0220 annual
HISTORY SOURCEDVLA VEH0120 GB · to 2013
MOT SOURCEDVSA results · to 2017
FAMILY DEFINITIONBMW 3.0 S
PROCESSED20 Sep 2026
Full methodology
Population history combines DVLA VEH0120 Q4 census observations through 2013 with the annual VEH0220 census from 2014 onward. Figures before 2014 cover Great Britain only. Historical VEH0120 is used only when its overlapping UK observations reconcile to the current canonical family definition. Vehicles are grouped into this family using the DVLA GenModel together with durable routing rules for known inconsistencies.
Variant figures are parsed from raw DVLA model descriptions and the original string is always retained. Configuration is only assigned where the model description explicitly identifies it; a blank configuration is not treated as a two door Wrangler. Blank transmission fields are shown as manual because DVLA records the field for automatic vehicles.
MOT figures count tests, not vehicles, and geographic figures count each vehicle at its most recent test location. The decline projection is a straight line fitted to the latest five years and is illustrative only.