I’m always at a loss to figure out why the BMW 8 series never caught on. It was more practical than the Z8 halo car that succeeded it and a tad more butch than the E24 6 series which it followed. No one seemed to care though during it’s decade long run. As a result, good, clean examples can be had for pennies on the dollar. Such as this example in Illinois.
1991 BMW 850i 6 speed on eBay
1991 BMW 850I V12 Coupe. Only 72,909 Actual Miles! Original MSRP Over $70,000. Still Looks And Drives Like New! VERY RARE 6~SPEED! Well Maintained Since New! A True Collector Car!
â— 12 Cylinder Engine
â— RARE 6 Speed Manual Transmission
â— Power Steering
â— Power Brakes
â— Factory Air Conditioning
â— Factory Sunroof
â— Factory BMW Phone
â— Complete Factory Tool Kit
â— All Power Amenities
â— Four Wheel Power Disk Brakes
â— Compact Disc Changer In Trunk
â— Black Leather Interior
â— Upgraded BMW Alloy WheelsHistory
This Car Plays An Iconic Roll In BMW’s History! These Cars Are Becoming Harder And Harder To Find… Not To Mention A Low Mile, Well Maintained, 6 Speed! This Car Has Been Well Cared For Since New! The Undercarriage Shows That It Hasn’t Seen Any Harsh Weather!
Condition
Only 72,909 Actual Miles!
Exterior…
For Being Over 20 Years Old, This Car Is In Exceptional Condition! The Depth Of The Black Paint Appears As It Would Have When It Was New! The Car Is Very Straight Down The Sides, No Major Door Dings Etc. The Paint Has Minor Blemishes And Scuffs As Any 21 Year Old Car Will Have… Nothing Major! Just Typical Wear And Tear…
Interior…
The Leather Interior Is Very Nice, Shows Some Minor Wear From Age, But As You Can See By The Pictures It Still Looks Very Nice!
Mechanicals…
The Car Has Been Meticulously Maintained By Its One Owner! This Car Speaks For Itself When You Drive It! No Squeaks And Rattles! This Is A True Quality European Collector Car!
This 8er strikes a good balance for me in not being too much of a garage queen yet hasn’t been overly worn out. The leather could use some conditioning inside, along with a good buffing of the black paintwork. I’d say if someone could snag this for anywhere between $11k and $14k, it would be well bought and a lot of car for the money.
Top Gear recently did a retrospective of V12 coupes and presenter Richard Hammond saw fit to pick up a lower mileage 850Ci coupe:
-Paul
There were very good reasons the E31 didn’t “catch on” when new – cost, market positioning and timing. Unlike the E24, the 8-series was a higher-price flagship coupe, and targeted the S-Class Coupes – a new (and expected lower volume) market segment for BMW. Unfortunately, the launch timing worked against them also – introduced just after the 1987 stock market crash.
I’m sure the potential cost of maintenance continues to scare away potential customers even now.
“I’m sure the potential cost of maintenance continues to scare away potential customers even now.”
Correct. If I were buying an E31 I’d hold out for a garage queen.
BMW’s 8 series is a great buy, loads of car for very little money. As demonstrated by richard Hammond in the video