Factory build sheet
1988 BMW 325IC E30
Build WBABB230-J · 2.5L 6cyl · Convertible
VIN positions 1 through 8 read WBABB230 and position 10 reads J. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.
Every 325IC whose VIN starts WBABB230 and carries J in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 149 of them.
- Decoded Jul 7, 2026
- 149 known VINs
- 1 listed for sale now
Factory specification
As filed by BMW with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.
Engine
- Displacement
- 2.5 L
- Displacement (CI)
- 152
- Cylinders
- 6
- Engine model
- 4-Value
- Engine manufacturer
- BMW-AG
- Horsepower
- 168 hp
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Drivetrain
- Transmission
- Automatic
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Convertible/Cabriolet
- NHTSA body type
- PASSENGER CAR
- Doors
- 2
- Series
- 3-Series
- Manufacturer
- BMW AG
Weight rating
- GVWR class
- Class 1
- GVWR
- 6,000 lb or less
Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.
The same build, other model years
BMW used the VIN pattern WBABB230 for 4 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.
How this VIN pattern is read
A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.
| Positions | Characters | What they encode |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | WBA | BMW AG · World manufacturer identifier |
| 4–8 | BB230 | Model, body style, engine and restraint system |
| 9 | × | Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build |
| 10 | J | Model year — 1988 |
| 11 | × | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | ×××××× | Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle |
149 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to WBABB230-J shares the specification above.
- 149 Known VINs
- 1 Listed for sale now
Cars are filed by a fixed rule based on the VIN, so a car never moves between groups.
Neighboring configurations
Other factory configurations of the 325IC, each with its own build sheet. The set is fixed by the VIN patterns themselves, so it does not shuffle as prices or inventory move.
- 1989 E30 2.5L 6-cyl · Convertible cabriolet 56 vehicles
- 1989 E30 2.5L 6-cyl · Convertible cabriolet 140 vehicles
- 1990 E30 2.5L 6-cyl · Convertible cabriolet 36 vehicles
- 1990 E30 2.5L 6-cyl · Convertible cabriolet 66 vehicles · $17,950 median
- 1992 IC Automatic 2.5L 6-cyl · Convertible cabriolet 61 vehicles
Keep going
Where this data comes from
Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.
Vehicle counts come from the 149 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.