Originality and collectibility

[Lord Vader]

If I was to purchase one I personally would look for one that is still original from the factory, be it manual or automatic. If someone were to convert it to a manual then I wouldnt see a problem with that so long as it was done properly and their was some documentation to prove it was done correctly (if done at a shop). I am all for OEM-originality though. I have my E36 for modding/changing if I want to, but an Alpina I would leave as original as possible. Its like a work of art. You dont go making changes to a Rembrandt do you?

The issue I see nowadays is that the desire for a manual transmission is dieing. Less and less people are learning how to drive a manual. When I went to drivers ed all the cars were brand new Honda Civic's and they were all automatics. If you wanted to learn how to drive a manual car they stuck you in a beat up old POS.

The value will also depend on the model itself. Very few people want Touring's here in Canada so they are hard to sell regardless of manual or auto.