This magnificent right-hand drive BMW M535i E12 was imported to Sydney, Australia from the UK in 1993. It is currently listed for sale on Collecting Car. As of Saturday, April 3, only 5 days left to bid on it. The current bid is $48,000.
Pampered Vehicle is in Very Good Condition for its age.
The car looks great because of the Chestnut Red in combination with sought-after tri-color BMW Motorsport stripes. According to the seller, everything is original in the car and no has no prior accident damage. There were some minor repairs, but mostly, the paint is believed to be original. The interior is finished in light cream leather and adorned with very cool Blaupunkt Hi-Fi equipment. The vehicle was displayed in a collection for several years, thus the odometer only shows 59,942 miles.
The car was recommissioned in November 2020 by AZ Auto in Sydney, NSW. A full assessment of the car was made. After this, all fluids, filters, spark plugs, a flow service for the fuel injectors, and many other minor things were replaced, making this car quite ready for regular driving.
Why This Car Is Valued Among Rare Car Enthusiasts And Collectors?
Let's dive into history. The BMW E28 M5 is often referred to as the benchmark for BMW super sedans. It was first presented at the 1985 Amsterdam Motor Show. The car looked almost like a regular E28 unless the client ordered a special styling with plastic bumpers and other skirts.
But one step down, the E28 M535i was essentially just a 535i sedan with some cosmetic tweaks and a stiffer suspension, built on the standard 5 Series production line in Dingolfing. The older E12 M535i, on the other hand, was handcrafted at BMW M's Garching plant in which Bilstein shocks, Recaro seats, limited-slip differential, and a five-speed manual transmission were all part of the package.
Unfortunately, BMW did not use the 24-valve M1 engine, instead opting for a 12-valve version of the M30 six-cylinder engine. But it still provided 215 hp, which was enough to get the M535i to 62 mph in about 7 seconds and have a top speed of 140 mph. These are quite impressive numbers for 1980. BMW built a total of 1,650 vehicles of this model.