It seems that few M cars, save for a few later model examples, are escaping the collector craze that is driving prices up. The E30 M3 was the car that started the mayhem, and much like air-cooled 911s, everyone and their brother seem to be clamoring to get into one of these machines. One of my favorites of the early M genre is the E34 M5. While I love the original E28 M5 and the V8 brute that is the E39 M5, the E34 has a really reserved nature about it. It’s as if someone dressed an Olympic athlete up in a Savile Row sourced suit, especially when it comes to a black on black example like this stunning example for sale in Hawaii. The thought of taking a trip out to warmer climates and coming back with a souvenir like this is what I would consider a trip of a lifetime.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 BMW M5 on eBay
Year: 1991
Model: M5
Engine: 3.6 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 52,000 mi
Price: $26,900 Buy It Now
Location: Kahului, HI (Maui).
Number of Owners: 3rd owner since Nov 2013.
Length of current ownership: 5 months
Reason for selling: Need money and space for another BMW.
Accidents: None during my ownership
Title status: Clean
Maintenance Records: Some maintenance records from early on, and then some recently during my ownership
Work done since ownership: Valve cover gasket, valve adjustment, Guibo, Pitman arm support, power steering seal and hose, alternator belt, a/c belt, power steering belt, spark plug and wires, Oil filter housing seal, A/C inspection
Original MSRP: $57,600. Original sticker included
Production Date: 12/1990
Factory Options: Dual climate control, ABS, 10 speaker sound system(needs servicing), heated mirrors, sunroof, electric windows and sunroof with one touch
Original Dealer: Poinsatte motor, Inc in Fort Wayne, IN.
Car History: Car was originally purchased in Indiana but lived in Kansas most of its life. In early 2003 during the 2nd ownership, the car sustained some minor body damage and the front driver’s side quarter panel was replaced with a BMW DOT-R. I do have the paperwork on this repair. The car was sold to a dealer in Mar 2013, who then sold it to me in October.
Aftermarket Modifications: 18″ M parallel wheels, K&N air filter
Current Condition: Mint
Manuals: Original, all included
Price: Will consider all offers below reserve
PPI: 28 point inspection available from a local indy shop
Shipping: Will help assist in shipping process but at buyer’s expense
The asking price here is pricey considering where values are settling currently, but with it’s contemporary, the Mercedes-Benz 500E regularly pulling over $30,000 for good examples, is this M car not far behind? One would assume the big hurdle here would be shipping costs, as most people do not live in Hawaii. But, if you find yourself out in the middle of the Pacific, this could very well be the best E34 M5 in your locale. What price perfection?
-Paul
I just did a little quick searching and found a quote of $1100 and 10 to 17 days to ship a car from Hawaii to California. For me, there would then be an additional 10 days to 2 weeks to truck it from California to Georgia and probably an additional $2000 or so. It tends to add up quickly…
The car itself looks great, but the fact that it has an accident in its history makes me a) want more details about the accident; and b) feel that the asking price is too high. The lack of a complete maintenance history only reinforces my feeling that the seller is asking too much.
Still, you don’t see many of these cars around and most of them aren’t in the apparent condition of this one.
this car has been around a little bit…
while I agree with Kevin about the accident….the devil is in the details of the repair as I have had cars that were just fine after the correct no corners skipped repairs were done…
however it does diminish the value of the vehicle….the low miles are the kicker here…good luck finding one with this mileage….even still I’d want to see service records cause even if you don’t drive it too much…you still need to have things looked after from lack of use…
the M-Parallels are a big + for me..(have them on mine)…my car has double the miles and pulls as strong as when I got it….
the shipping is a big issue for anyone east of say Nevada….LOL as Kevin pointed out
Nice looking E34 M5. It makes a nice appearance, and the wheels do add a nice touch. But for those of you who have never owned an E34 M5, I wouldn’t pay more for an e34 than an E39, and that’s where this one is, and with a DOT fender. The E34 is for me, just a little too much work to drive, with very little on the bottom. But I”m sure it’ll bring some nice dollars.
But I’ve got to call him out on this one “Sound system needs servicing”. Servicing? I can only figure it has the dreaded volume knob noise and that the lights are out or dim. Props to him, I suppose, for that bit of wordsmithing…..
This car would be just the ticket for a sunrise cannonball run to Hana!
Thinking back, what would make someone buy this car, versus a 500E. Maybe it was solely the big price difference, for similar performance.
Just looked at my original window sticker for the 500E, which lists the car at $85,000. That’s a whopping 47.6% more than this M5’s original MSRP of $57,600.
@Audemars….price surely may have played a part as that is a big difference…
but they are very different cars that get you where you want to be…
stating the obvious…the M5 you row…the Merc you don’t……the Merc has that big V8 low end grunt….the M5 has the high rev scream….all things being equal (drivers) the M5 should out handle the big Merc (though the Merc is only 125 lbs more in weight)….they both stop great…slight edge maybe to the M5…the Merc in a drag is quicker slightly in the 1/4 & to 60 mph…
personally I own an E34 and if Merc had made the car with a manual I probably would have gone with that for the torque…all the other things for me have parity…
so I did the next best thing and got an E39 M5…V8 w/manual & silly amounts of low end grunt
This price is for an all original M5, not a story one. And no matter how good the repair, it is not an original M5.
There’s a reason why dealers always bring paint meters to auction. Repaint always takes a big chunk off of a car’s value. Especially one that is trying to be considered as a classic.