Sold at $102,359 (€90,200)RM Sotheby’s Online-Only — The European SaleFeaturing the Petitjean CollectionJune 3–11, 2020, Lot 358 Chassis number: WBSDC910401018399SCM Condition for this car: 2- I was shopping for a new car in 1988 and never considered the M5 until I started poking around my local dealer’s inventory of 535is and 528es. I was alerted by the sales manager that the real deal at the moment was on the new M5, which wasn’t really flying off the showroom floors. BMW corporate was using them for its zone managers to drive and then sell as demos. If I would consider paying $35k […]
Sold at $102,359 (€90,200)
RM Sotheby’s Online-Only — The European Sale
Featuring the Petitjean Collection
June 3–11, 2020, Lot 358
Chassis number: WBSDC910401018399
SCM Condition for this car: 2-
I was shopping for a new car in 1988 and never considered the M5 until I started poking around my local dealer’s inventory of 535is and 528es. I was alerted by the sales manager that the real deal at the moment was on the new M5, which wasn’t really flying off the showroom floors. BMW corporate was using them for its zone managers to drive and then sell as demos.
If I would consider paying $35k for a car that had an original sticker price of $52k, we could discuss this further and discuss we did. Oh, and I had to like black because that was my choice. To be pedantic, black with tan leather. The garage-mate to the BMW would be my black Aston Martin V8 Vantage, so I was smitten. In retrospect, what a deal!
That moribund first-gen M5 market existed for only a tiny period. By cutting its losses and getting the cars on the roads, BMW actually created a marketing coup. I would venture that everyone who bought an M5 then drove the snot out of their cars until the tires were slick and proceeded to tell all of their friends how great this new “M” car was — I know I did. BMW’s accidental marketing campaign lit the wick for the next 35 years to follow.
This 1986 European first-generation M5 was no bargain price, but with roughly 82,000 km and in fairly good nick, it is where a new generation of buyers are enjoying spending their money.
Against its contemporaries this was the sedan of the day, with hand-built quality, an engine lineage tracing back to the M1, and 286 horsepower that was good for a 0–60 mph time of just over six seconds. The one criticism I always had was that the seats were like polished stones, but no car is perfect.
I understand that these numbers aren’t exciting compared to new cars, but that’s not the point here. This is as bespoke as any sedan that has come out of Germany since that time. It’s a car that forced the hand of Mercedes into building the 500E — the other great classic German sedan of the era — and for that alone we enthusiasts should be thankful.
I’m still driving a 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and I put 450 miles on my 1992 500E yesterday. I’d eagerly add this car, especially with the red leather interior, to my collection. Everyone should have a usable, 4-door classic, and this is a hall-of-fame nomination as a rare production-series Autobahn screamer.
One small caveat: Compared to the 500E or, say, any Porsche 911, these M5s were never inexpensive to tune and properly service. Pay up and buy a great one, as there are no deals on a cheap one. Only 2,241 first-series E28 M5s were built worldwide, so if you want one, I’d start looking. This price was market-correct and in 12 months may be considered well bought. — Steve Serio ♦
