1991 BMW M5

Is the E34 BMW M5 destined to be a future classic or a cult favorite? It’s an interesting question, since if you go back only a few short years ago there was a general lack of appreciation of its fore-bearers. Certainly many considered the E28 a watershed design and important performance leap for executive sedans, but the refinement and luxury added to the E34 design for many doesn’t seem to outweigh the perceived softening of the M5. Plus the E34 wasn’t a watershed car or design, rather an evolution of the proven blueprint. BMW offers the E34 M experience in a different and more affordable form V8 in the 540i M-Sport, too – something that wasn’t really done with the E28. Then there’s the problem with it’s successor – the E39 represents arguably a much better deal and good examples are continuing to fall in price. That leaves the ‘last of the handbuilts’ in an interesting predicament. They should be worth more, since they’re a M5 and limited production, right?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 BMW M5 on eBay

Year: 1991
Model: M5
Engine: 3.6 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 72,520 mi
Price: $21,950 Buy It Now

You are looking at an exceptionally well kept, great looking sport M5 luxury automobile, one of the finest series that BMW makes. This car says a lot about its owner, and has been renowned in the world as a symbol of prestige and class, as well as having great performance.

The vehicle has been made and assembled entirely in Germany, and consists only of Germany made parts! It’s been very well kept. It’s a great black color for this model and combined with the black off white leather interior adds lot of luxury appeal to it.

Judging by the miles and the condition of the car, it has been mostly used on the highway and it has also been garage kept.

There are no reported manufacturer’s defects on this vehicle. A never-smoked-in beauty that looks great and smells clean.

The engine is an exceptional M5 – one of the most powerful in the segment – runs strong and smooth provides the power you have come to expect from a BMW. The transmission has the BMW mark on it as well and shifts like on a new car, no skips or slips on shifts – actually it does it so smoothly that you can’t feel it shifting. The car runs great! The engine compartment is clean, and free of any leaks.

All the electrical options appear to be in working order!

AC blows ice-cold and the heater is hot.

As you can judge yourself from the pictures – the interior is clean. The seats are 16 way adjustable including lumbar support for both driver and passenger.

Very few of M5 BMWs were made for the US, this is your chance to own a truly unique sport luxurious coupe in a classic black that stands out. It’s obviously been garage kept, and is in good condition.

Certainly, there are people who will argue that the E34 is the M5 to have – but the market doesn’t really seem to agree at this time. While we’ve heard from readers who have gotten strong money for a well-maintained and presented example, we’ve also seen some sellers really struggle to get even half the asking price of today’s example. While it’s typical of this seller to present the cars well through photography, many will note that there are no records provided – indeed, the seller seems to speculate regarding the history of the vehicle as much as we typically do. And while there are E34 sellers that ask even stronger money than this one, it will take a very special set of circumstances to realize the full price here – and I’m not sure that this is the car to do so. Yes, the miles are lower and the condition seems good. It would appear that the engine bay was a bit over-aggressively cleaned, resulting in the removal of a fair amount of the paint on the engine. There’s also a hefty amount of shine applied to the car, and the seller’s photography likely hides some defects that would stand out more in person. The glaring omission is the wheels, which to me would look more at home on a Mk.4 GTi than here on this classic M – they’re a bit disappointing even if they house nice rubber. Otherwise, the question remains – is the E34 worth more than a clean E39 M5 or a classic but higher mile E28? As nice as it is, I think today that’s a hard argument and going forward I think the E34 will remain a strict connoisseur’s choice rather than the obvious one.

-Carter