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On September 6, a Connecticut teen attended a very special event. Juliette Butler and her dad, Jim, had already spent months focusing on her dream car. Since she was 14, Juliette knew she wanted to drive a BMW. Excitedly, in 2021, Jim acquired a 1990 BMW 3 Series E30 that needed a lot of work. By 2022, though, a crushing diagnosis put their restoration at a standstill.

That year, Juliette was diagnosed with lymphoma. Her treatments required the family’s full attention. Thankfully, the teen made it into remission, where she’s been for over a year. When the now 17-year-old was approached by Make-A-Wish Connecticut, her request felt obvious to her.

“My car is my everything,” Juliette told NewsTimes. “So when they asked me my wish, I asked if they could paint and repair my car. When they said they could, I was beyond thrilled.”

As it turned out, MAW Connecticut board member and local resident James Barnett happened to be a BMW enthusiast himself. He happily approached BMW of Ridgefield, pitching the project to Andy Ventresca, a sales manager. “They were fantastic,” Barnett said. “The moment I opened my mouth, Andy was in love with the idea. They’ve been absolutely fabulous.”

The dealership took in the E30 and started working with Keeler Collision, a local repair facility. Together, the groups gave the convertible a new muffler, brakes, and wheels. They also repainted the whole car and even gave it a new roof.

Last Friday, Juliette and her family attended the unveiling of the refurbished car. When volunteers removed the Make-A-Wish cover, She and her dad were absolutely floored. Juliette then took the E30 for an inaugural drive.

1990 BMW 3 Series E30

Any E30 is simply code for a second-gen 3 Series. Built from 1982 to 1994, the E30 arrived via 18 variants, including the automaker’s first M3.

The 1990 325i convertible came with BMW’s infamous 2.5L straight-six, which produced 168 hp. The Cabrio featured either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

In terms of styling, you’ll notice the relatively “teeny” front kidney grille opposes much larger modern designs.

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Editor-in-Chief

Sarah Kennedy

Sarah Kennedy joined the MotorBiscuit team as managing editor in 2021 and brings with her a bevy of automotive expertise. She’s an ASE-Certified Automotive Service Consultant and licensed car salesperson with over a decade of shop operations experience.

Sarah was the creator of “Shop Smarts” for MOTOR Magazine and was a contributor from 2013 to 2020. Her work earned her a Gold Medalist award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors in 2014 and Bronze Medalist awards from the International Automotive Media Competition in 2014 and 2015.

She has attended the Automotive Management Institute and earned her bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University.