The craze over the E30 is quickly pulling up many 1980s BMW prices, and unfortunately as budget-minded enthusiasts there is a narrowing window to get into one of these cars in good condition. E24, E28 and E30 prices have all crept up rapidly, leaving few options for enthusiasts to turn to. One, ironically, comes from Munich itself, but is often overlooked when judging classic BMWs. Perhaps its that there wasn’t the long-promised “M8”, or that the E31 really saw the advent of BMW’s electronic nannies to help keep the car in check. Perhaps it was the progressive for the 80s, dated for the 90s styling that seemed out of place in the lineup. Or perhaps it was that this incredible V12 grand touring coupe just wasn’t what everyone wanted in a BMW. Regardless of the cause, it’s now possible to get one of these stately tourers for a fraction of the price of a top notch E30. And while silver, black, white and red seemed to dominate the E31 color palate, for me the prettiest examples are blue:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 BMW 850i on eBay
Year: 1991
Model: 850i
Engine: 5.6 liter V12
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 72,000 mi
Price: $25,000 Buy It Now
Im selling my 1991 BMW 850i 6 speed manual transmission in a rare Mauritiusblau Metallic. Currently it has a little over 72k miles. Cosmetically it is in very good condition. It has a clean title and carfax. The entire car was recently repainted its original Mauritiusblau Metallic color. I spent 3000 on the quality paint job. This car was my garage queen. I only drove it on the weekends or to car shows. Maintenance is up to date. I recently replaced the oil pan gasket and oil pan, transmission fluid, and engine oil. The car drives straight with no shakes or shimmies like many 8 series bmws do. The suspension is in very good condition with no worn bushings or struts. It does not leak any fluid. It has been a California car its entire life, so no rust at all.
The interior is in very good condition for its age. No tears or major wear on the seats as you can see in the pictures. The tires are almost brand new with a recent balance and alignment. I have owned this 8 for a little over a year and now its time to sell her and pick up my next toy. This was my 3rd 850i in manual I have owned.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a low mileage, well maintained 6 speed 850i in a rare color.
If you have any questions feel free to call or text me. (949) 521-1961
Disclosures: Sunroof needs the cables redone. The information display has some pixels out (common among most bmws of this age)
Asking price: 25,000
Video walk around link on YouTube http://youtu.be/1ZvK86fmnnM
If your ebay account has 1 or less feedback your bid will be removed unless you contact me prior to bidding. Thank you.
While it’s true you can still get into a very nice E34 M5 for this amount of money, this car has to be one of the better values going in the classic BMW market. If you discount that it’s not the rip-roaring fire breathing monster that the M8 promised to be, it’s a very competent highway cruiser still capable of tackling enough sport on back roads to make you feel special. Plus, there’s the look – one of the more unique BMW products produced in the past few decades, with hints of the E30 M3, E24 and M1 but also unique attributes. Certainly, it won’t be a cheap car to run long-term; but given the option between this and a somewhat tired E30 M3 my vote would be for this car.
-Carter
This one has been around for a while. No surprise. It’s well above market price for ’91i with 77k on the odo. It does have the 6-speed which makes it appealing. But the things that kills me is the sellers admission that he spent a whopping $3,000 to have the care repainted and then calls that a “quality” paint job. These days, $3,000 is a pretty lousy paint job.
Wonder why car needed repaint after 77K? Front end hood and pop up light gaps are uneven and pretty noticable from photos. I would be very interested in crash history. PPI a must on all 8 series.
Vic, I’m not sure and I saw the gaps too. Couple of things – for reference, my parents had a 88 735i 5-speed in dark purple-blue (not sure of the actual name the car’s color was) and it needed a full repaint when we got it in 1994 – clearcoat damage. There are several other blue BMWs from the same generation and later that I’ve also seen with clearcoat damage. I’m not sure if that’s what happened here, but it’s certainly a possibility. Regarding the cost of the paint job, I’d agree – 3K certainly doesn’t buy you a top-quality paint job these days!
$3000 for a “quality paint job”?????? Umm…no. Just no. A $3k paint job will be slightly better than a rattle can, but not quality. A quality paint job these days will set you back closer to $15k.