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1986 BMW M535i

Back in March I took a look at what seemed to be a European-spec M535i – but some digging revealed it was just a regular 535i kitted out with M Technic bits:

Euro-Spec 1986 BMW 535i

If you’re a careful observer, today’s car was parked right next to it and is now available. Unlike the last one, it carries a DC71 VIN and appears to be a legitimate LHD M535i. Unfortunately, outside of that we don’t know very much – this dealer seems to be hooked up with importing E28s but they often look a bit tatty and there’s little direct information. Still, these are rare cars to see in the US, so I figured it was worth a gander.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 BMW M535i on eBay


Year: 1986
Model: M535i
VIN: WBADC710700643696
Engine: 3.4 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 204,000km (~127,000 mi)
Location: Royal Oak, Michigan
Price: Reserve Auction

“Recent import, MI title. Car is complete and original. Vin# WBADC710700643696. Very rare in US. Clean no rust, interior in excellent condition also recently done. Dash has one small crack. Original windshield. Starts and runs. The car is not in show condition, there are minor imperfections. Nothing affects the drivability rather cosmetic. It’s showing 204k kilometers. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. Inspection at Classic City Cars.”

The seller says that they welcome inspections, and that would probably be a smart idea. It looks as if this one was given a cosmetic freshening; the exterior color doesn’t appear to be original to me, and the seat upholstery also looks quite new. Under the dressing, the engine bay looks a lot more tired, though, and not much care has gone into the current presentation. Despite this, as I’ve talked about before the European bits on this car make it worth a pretty penny regardless of current condition. The manual sport seats, M Technic kit, and European lighting and valances would find very happy customers even if the car didn’t run. On top of that, it’s a manual – so probably worth saving. Bidding right now is only $6k, but as discussed it probably would be a lot higher with a day’s cleaning and good photos.

-Carter