As a kid, I collected fire trucks and cars.
I preferred those vehicles,
because I had always wanted to become a firefighter.
When there was a flea market or a garage sale,
I would buy models.
One day, I came across a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL model
that I really liked.
From then on,
I started being interested in cars in general.
So, bye-bye, firefighters, and hello, backfires.
My name is Sébastien Defaux, and I drive a 1985 E30 316.
I became passionate about that brand through my cousin,
who is a fan of BMWs.
He has owned a lot.
He's a body auto mechanic, so he fixes a great deal of them.
In school,
I received a diploma in auto body repair after working at his shop.
This allowed me to get a closer feel for this brand's bodywork.
That's when the double grille managed to get me.
Each summer holiday, I visit my uncle in the south of France.
He's a former rally driver.
Every time I get there, there's this gigantic picture of him
overlooking the living room in the 2002 tii
that he drove on the famous Nürburgring track.
From that moment, I started to enjoy her curves,
the look that emanated from that old BMW.
Then, on the street, I came across a car I had never seen before.
It was an E30 M3.
I instantly fell in love with that model.
I was there facing her,
and I thought, "This is the one I need."
My parents would nag me
to get a "normal" vehicle, like every other student,
but I didn't want to.
I really wanted an old car to drive to school, 30 years late.
I found a classified ad for an original vehicle
in good shape, not far from home, and with low mileage.
The owner was a retired mechanic.
He didn't drive it anymore, but the maintenance was good,
and all the checks had been completed.
I didn't want to miss out on it.
So, I took my mother, father, and grandfather in the car with me
and went to Asnières-sur-Seine on December 3rd of 2016.
We got there around 10 am.
I entered the garage, turned my head, and there she was, glistening,
the yellow front beams shining under the neon lights.
I was hooked.
I knew she was the one.
He took us for a two-hour drive,
then we exchanged documents and vintage accessories with the owner.
I finally owned my first car at the age of 19,
and it wasn't a random car.
It was the car I had dreamed about.
But, mostly, it was my first BMW.
Three hours later, we reached Lille.
I had let my father drive all the way back
to make sure the car was working fine,
but now I could finally drive it myself
and lay my hands
on the wheel of my BMW.
I also like the fact that it is a collector's car
and that I can show it at different rallies.
I was finally able to feel what owners felt
when they displayed their gem to other car enthusiasts.