I do my best to refrain from posting automatic-transmission cars here unless absolutely necessary (Audi RS6, for example) as I like fun cars, and rowing the gears is part of the fun to me. I’m making an exception today because I’ll take any opportunity to argue that US-spec bumpers can, in fact, look great. Perhaps we can see the automatic here as reinforcing this white-and-chrome 535is’s status as the “Yin” to the all-black Shadowlined M5 “Yang”. I haven’t driven a BMW auto of this vintage, but with the venerable M30B34 and the “is” suspension package it must be a great cruiser.
1988 BMW 535is for sale on eBay
From the seller:
Southern Car with absolutely NO RUST. Very well maintained, low miles, unmolested E28 with the rare “is” package and highly desirable color combination. Runs and drives great. AC/Heat Works. Crack-free dashboard recently installed. Very clean interior, Headliner is perfect, Recaro seats were recovered and they look great. BMW enthusiast owned.
Recent Upgrades:
Front End Completely Rebuilt
New Front Struts
New CV Axle Boots
New Door Window Seals
New Racing Dynamics Front Spoiler and Fog Lights
E38 16″ BBS Wheels on Fresh Tires 80% +
Kenwood CD Player
New OEM Floor Mats
New Fan Clutch
Fresh Oil Change
Fresh Alignment
Complete Exhaust (BOSAL) replaced recently
Known Issues:Tachometer is not working, I believe the cluster board is going bad since the temperature gauge and the cluster lights don’t work sometimes. Right rear door lock actuator is not working. Most of the car still has factory paint but the roof and doors were repainted long time ago and it shows some age, It looks great from 10ft away but you can tell some imperfections when you get up close.
All told, the cluster issue and door lock are fixable (or tolerable) issues. The six owners and low Autocheck score are worth investigating, but a PPI would sort everything out. The white on cardinal combo is one of my favorites, so despite my aversion to automatics, I think the Buy-It-Now of $5,995 is a fair price for this clean, 138k-mile cruiser. Anything less than $5k and I’d just feel bad for the seller.
-NR
One of these days when I have the time and money to take on a project it’ll be very similar to this car. It is well cared for but not a garage queen. It is unique but not borderline exotic like an M. It has sentimental value to me as a 1998 535is was the first BMW and first german car I ever drove. Reasonably priced so I can actually drive it. I will get a manual, ‘though.
Wow, this would be such a great 535is if I liked white cars with automatics…
Mileage issue in the title will inevitably impact resale, so sorry Nate, I wouldn’t feel bad about buying it for less than $5K.
Even in white, this is a great reminder of how perfectly BMW nailed the E28.
The engine in these cars is nearly bulletproof. The accessories and electrics (seat motors, window regulators, SI boards), passable but more problematic with the passing of time. The BMW automatic transmission from this era is a ticking bomb.
When I lived in Atlanta in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Georgia was just getting into emissions testing. It was standard for the Emissions Inspection Stations to have a sign on the wall that stated “Not Responsible for Damage to BMW Automatic Transmissions.” Something about the method of testing (revving the engine up while the transmission was left in Park) created havoc and claimed the life of many BMW automatics.
Still, it’s a very nice example and the asking price, though optimistic, isn’t too far off the mark.
Reposted with a $4,495 Buy-It-Now. Something must have hit the seller to bring it down $1.5k. Whatever it is, I think $4.5k is a steal for this car.