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If there was one song that summed up the 1980s for me, it was Opportunities by the Pet Shop Boys. “I’ve got the brains, you’ve got the looks…let’s make lots of money.” Economic liberalism was on the move during this decade and as a result, consumers were hungry for vehicles to showcase their new found wealth. German vehicles would quickly become objects of desire, noted for their quality. The Porsche 911 wasn’t a new design by any means, but it would be the standard bearer for sports car excellence. The Mercedes-Benz S-class and SL roadster would be for the folks looking to capture a bit of that old money look and the pinnacle of luxury. Then we have the BMW E24 6 series. What about this coupe, then? I’ve always considered the 6 series the thinking man’s luxury car. It combined performance you’d expect from a Porsche with understated luxury you got in a Mercedes-Benz. It wasn’t the obvious choice, but time has been kind to the E24, as it is steadily becoming more and more popular with collectors. This 635CSi for sale in Vancouver, British Columbia is a US market car with just over 70,000 miles on the clock.
An interesting conversation erupted in Andrew’s post about the 2003 BMW 540i M-Sport yesterday. Andrew suggested that the E39 was not only the best looking 5-series, but perhaps the best looking sedan ever produced. I think for many that opinion will depend on the generation that they grew up in; for example, I bet you could find some folks who would contend that the early fourth generation Lincoln Continental (early 60s) or even the Bugatti Royale was better looking. But taking a break from arguing the best looking ever, how about within the 5-series? There are a lot of E28 fans out there, our own author Nate being one since he owns a M5. I grew up with a ’88 M5 in the family, too – but for me the E28, while a definitive and landmark step for BMW, was not as “pretty” as the E12 which preceded it. That’s especially true of the early E12s, but in terms of motivation there aren’t many that can match the punch of the later M5 and 540i models. To solve that problem, one owner took the pretty look of a 1979 Euro-market 520i but ditched the M20 inline-6, replacing it with a Dinan built 3.9 M30 with accompanying upgrades. The result is certainly impressive:
There’s a website How Many Left? that tracks the number of examples of any particular vehicle still on the road in Great Britain. If their numbers are accurate, then the BMW 733i is almost extinct. I can’t remember the last time I spotted an E23 on the road, let alone an early 733i. These early 7 series are not a darling of the collector set. Around 285,000 were produced over a decade span. I’ve seen plenty of E23s in rough condition and if that’s anything to go on, then many have taken their final trip to the scrap heap. This 1977 733i for sale in Vancouver, British Columbia, however, has escaped that fate.
Could the M3 market get hotter? I bet it can, because there are a massive amount of enthusiasts who follow and lust after the cars, this author included. But in my general searches for cars this week popped up one of the more strange ads that I’ve seen in some time; it was an advertisement celebrating the beginning and end of M3 production, but in convertible form. And it was for not one, but two M3s – an E30 and a E93. Now, frankly right now it doesn’t really matter what type of E30 you come up with, there’s someone who wants it. But the convertibles, though more limited production than the coupes, are a bit of a different market. In short, they’re desirable, but for a different reason than the motorsport heritage that started the M brand. 2013 saw the death of what we associated with M3; a naturally aspirated 2-door overachiever that in many ways defined the market for small performance sedans. Is this listing a fitting tribute to the legend or just an attempt to capitalize on M3-mania?
Lets get this out of the way right off the bat. The E39 BMW 5 series is the best looking sedan ever made. It is the pinnacle of balanced design and it’s beauty is only accentuated by the garish abomination that succeeded it. Show me someone who says they love their “Bangle Butt” 5 series and I’ll show you a person in serious denial. BMW tired to scale back the ugly on the F10 but it’s still a bloated boat compared to the clean, svelte E39.
Growing up I was obsessed with the hottest version of this beautifully thought out machine, the E39 M5. One of my favorite pro skateboarders had two of them and could be seen thoroughly enjoying them in his video parts. At age 15 a blacked out M5 with “peanut butter” interior was THE car and it remains a vehicle that I am still in lust with. However I’m a bit more educated than I was back then and I know that while the M5 is the lead, there is an equally impressive supporting player in the cast, the 540i M-Sport.
