German cars are know as being exact in their engineering, and even the model designation of the turbocharged E23 7 series takes this mantra to heart. This particular 745i does not, in fact, have a 4.5 liter inline-6 as suggested by the badge on the trunk. Rather, it designates that the turbocharged powerplant under the hood has 1.4 times the power output of the normally aspirated unit it is based on. These E23 7 series sedans had the same aggressive front snout as the beloved E24 6 series and moved the BMW game forward in terms of technology, with service interval indicators, anti-lock brakes and climate control systems appearing during the production run. The 745i Turbo was offered in North America between 1979 and 1986, first with a 3.2 liter inline six and then upgraded to the 3.4 unit that we see here. This example for sale in Georgia is a Euro market model that has the optional water buffalo leather, lending quite a unique air to the interior.
Click for more details: 1985 BMW 745i on eBay
Year: 1985
Model: 745i
Engine: 3.4 liter inline-6
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 71,000 mi
Price: Reserve auction
This listing is for a friend, you can reach him directly at 678-823-0699 with any other questions, concerns, details, etc.
1985 BMW 745i Euro Turbo.
71k original miles.
Fully loaded; every possible option available in 1985 (including active suspension, ABS, full power buffalo leather interior…even the headrests and rear seats are power operated!)
Genuine BBS RS 16×8 et11 wheels all around with 225/50 front and 245/45 rear tires. Overall this car looks and runs excellent, but is by no means showroom; has a few scratches and dents as expected of a 29 year old car. Please study pictures carefully (more pictures are available, but eBay has a 24 picture limit)Shipping is the full responsibility of the buyer, but we do have connections for reasonable shipping anywhere. Please ask any and all questions and be financially prepared PRIOR to bidding. Thank you.
We may get close to around the $6,000 to $7,000 mark on this one. With E24 prices on the rise, if you want a similar look, these E23s are a BMW that have gone a bit unnoticed for a while. Perfect for the collector on a budget who wants to roll a bit incognito.
-Paul
Well that’s something you don’t see every day.
Funny how the top of the line Mercedes of the time were much nicer.
The 745i was never offered in North America, unless you count grey market cars. My dad looked at a couple of 745s but the fear of no parts and no one to maintain it kept him away. In hindsight, we now realize that was not the case, there were plenty of independent BMW shops in the area that could have done it but we didn’t know it at the time.
@Harrison Price: the MBs were definitely better cars except in one area, fun to drive. My dad owned several MBs from the early 60s until 1983, when he test drove his first BMW. That test drive was all it took, he bought a new 733i in December of that year and has driven nothing but BMWs since. I know the gap has all but disappeared now but back then the MB S class wasn’t as pleasurable to drive as the BMW, even though it was a better car overall.
@Paul – I’m 90% sure the E23 745i model was never sold new through dealers or in US trim (re your “North America…” comment. They were all in Euro trim (euro headlights, and usually German on the interior climate controls (“kalt” for cold), and usually some German on the “computer” to the left of the steering wheel as well as on the keypad to the right of the radio. I would speculate that the 745i, in terms of #s, was one of the most popular grey market cars ever to not be officially sold in the US. I think a lot of the “federalizing” was much more simple, or just more simple to get the paperwork (if any) approved then vs now.
@Harrison Price – I agree that the MB W-126 is a different vehicle, but if you saw good pics of the e23 BMW interior, it was actually pretty opulent in the materials, and fit & finish, and had things like rear power seats and stuff. I think they were sold to slightly different buyers, BMW skewing more towards the performance car segment, and MB more on straight up luxury. The 745i was a bit of a hot rod, especially considering that the time period we’re looking at was right after catalytic converters became law and no one knew how to build a high HP/torquey engine that also was remotely fuel efficient. Pick any American muscle car from the early ’80s and chances are it had pathetic HP #s.
Apologies, these were gray market cars I was referring to.
-Paul
Definitely appealed to a different type of buyer. I meant that the MB’s seemed to have nicer fit and go ish and, IMO, a more timeless styling. While the W124 wears well today a 5 Series from that period looks dated (although I do like the late-80s 6 Series).
Nice looking car but the “selling for a friend” bit is typically BS. And a car like this needs records or it could be an absolute PITA to own. You take a 1980s BMW, which can already be a “buggy” beast to say the least, and add in early technology turbocharging and you have a great car with a lot of weaknesses that if not addressed by the prior owner equal a big headache for the next owner. Thus, it amazes me that when selling a car like this, given that the audience will be folks who have been to the 1980s BMW rodeo before, the seller doesn’t immediately mention that he or she has service records. Plenty of questions, but a promising example, proceed with caution and skepticism.
This car looks great, but has been to the for-sale rodeo several times. See this thread regarding the car when it appeared on ebay in the summer:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2010439-Anyone-know-this-745i-in-Georgia
As the links in there show, it has appeared at a salvage sale (with mechanical and undercarriage damage reported), but the AutoCheck at the time didn’t show any reported salvage or damage. Mileage has been about the same for many years, and the odos on these cars have often spent some time out of commission. Car also appeared on BaT in April, but the comments don’t contain much useful info (i.e., from anyone who knew or had seen the car).
All that said, these cars in any reasonable cosmetic condition are getting rare, and I have a huge soft spot for e23s. Depending on the current condition, I don’t think the history matters too much on cars this old. Still, thought anyone interested might want to know that some follow-up questions are in order.