BMW only sold the original 3 Series as a two-door sedan, but back then there was an option to buy a convertible. A German coachbuilder filled this gap in the E21 range with the TopCabriolet (TC1), which featured a rear soft top. Although the subsequent E30 generation received a standard convertible, the Stuttgart niche brand still brought its own version onto the market, the TC2.
But the strangest member of the TopCabriolet family only came onto the market with the E36. Yes, it is a four-door 3 Series with a folding fabric roof. The TC4 was more of a landaulet than a true convertible. BMW Classic now offers a rare look at this rare four-door convertible, one of only 311 examples ever made.
It’s a strange looking machine. From the side, it still resembles a standard E36 as the rear doors remain intact. Things change dramatically at the roof, where two panels of fabric extend from the windshield frame to the trunk. The front panel is removable and gives the driver and passenger an open-air feeling.
The larger of the two fabric parts folds like a conventional soft top, although it looks a bit bulky when stored in front of the trunk lid. Baur retained the B-pillars, making the TC4 more of a sedan than a convertible. Unlike most drop tops that seat two or four people, this model seats five. After all, it’s still a 3 Series. A central roll bar runs between the B-pillars, providing additional protection in the event of an accident.
While it was a nice idea, it’s easy to see why it never caught on. Not only did BMW already sell a 3 Series Cabriolet, this conversion wasn’t exactly cheap either. In 1992, Baur charged around 7,000 German marks to convert an E36 to the TC4 specification. That’s about $16,000 in today’s money.
It is worth noting that Baur was not an unknown company. The company had already demonstrated its engineering expertise by assembling the BMW M1 and building the Porsche 959 between 1986 and 1993, around the same time as the TC2 and TC4. In 1999, Baur was taken over by IVM Automotive, a subsidiary of the Swedish Semcon (Scandinavian Engineering & Marketing Consultants).
