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Recently, one of our our posts on a Dakar Yellow M3 sedan prompted reader Ry to ask if there were any E39 M5s that were built in the shade. Well, today’s car isn’t one of those, but it’s interesting that so close to when the question was raised an M5 this rare to see shade pops up for sale. Like it or not, the E34 M5 painted by BMW Individual in Dakar Yellow certainly stands out. It’s no surprise, though, that the listing is nearly as eccentric as the person who ordered it’s tastes must have been:
There is something inherently appealing about buying an older car. If you’re willing to forgo the glam and glitz – and importantly, the warranty – of a new car it’s amazing the deals that you can get. A Volkswagen Phaeton is basically a Bentley underneath, and you can get a decent example for only $8,000 today, for example. Of course, in doing so you’re taking some risks – older cars are a great deal up front, but you’re buying something that has been used – so of course, there will be some issues. Or, in the case of really complicated cars, a lot of issues. For example, I can’t imagine what the used car market on the brand new S-Class cars is going to be in a few decades. They are going to be close to throw away cars because no one is going to be stupid enough to want to fix all of the massively complicated electronics on them as an independent and no one will be able to afford having the dealer fix them up. Back up a few decades, of course, and cars weren’t nearly as complicated so it’s at least easier on the surface to contemplate what was a cutting edge car with a lot of miles; in 1988, it didn’t get much more cutting edge or appealing than the BMW M5:
What’s the best deal going amongst BMW M cars? One could certainly argue that it must be the E34 M5. With the classic and refined looks of the third generation 5 series comes both great build quality and legendary reliability that helped to solidify BMW’s place in the luxury market today. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that there was an equally legendary series of engines under the hood, and without a doubt the shining star of that lineup and the model range indeed was the M5 with the original S38 motor screaming its last song. Despite the rush on all things M from the 1980s and general good shape that many of the E34 Ms appear in, they’re also generally quite affordable compared to the rest of the examples of BMW Motorsport’s influence. Part of that was that the package didn’t stand out quite as much as either the E28 or E39 M5 did. It was subtle, understated and almost whisper quiet in its delivery of a performance package; out of the box, it even almost looked like it had white wall tires due to the unique two-piece M-System wheels. To solve the perceived lack of gusto compared to the competition, one could turn to BMW specialist Dinan to turn up their luxury rocket ride to 11:
We try to refrain from writing up total dumpster dives here on GCFSB, but sometimes it’s worth it to examine a car with potential – even if that potential ends up being parting out. This particular ruffian hits close to home, as my E28 M5 isn’t perfect but I will turn in my car-guy card if it ever gets anywhere close to this condition. The worst bits are the paint, lurking rust, and awful trunk that is minus one spare wheel/tire and carpet set but plus one hideous subwoofer. The seller claims it starts and runs cleanly, which is promising but not enough to dive in head first. I bought my 200k+ mile M5 to have a solid base that I could feel good about keeping on the road. If you are a BMW mechanic, this could be a cheap M5 for a long term project. Otherwise, it may end up as nothing more than a moneypit or a parts car.
The E28 M5 was one of those cars that moved the chains forward in the automotive spectrum. These were sedans that would popularize the idea that a four-door car need not be boring family transport. The inaugural year for the M5 would be 1985, but North America would not see this performance sedan until the 1988 model year rolled around. At that time, all destined for that market would be painted black, replete with crash bumpers and most coming equipped with a tan leather interior. In other markets, the options were a bit more diverse, as is the case with this 1985 M5 for sale in Minnesota. With its slim bumpers and headlamp wipe/wash system, it has that Euro look so many strive for. In this case, however, the look is authentic. Also, the aftermarket McIntosh stereo is also a nice touch, given that these are not cheap systems and replicate the look of period head units quite nicely.
