RE: SOTW: BMW 735i (E23)

[Luca Brasi]

That's very rare:O Although I like the E32 better.

[grosserbaby]

Mark M said:

Dlr Order : 0388918 AG Order : 8493404 Chassis : Reg Mark : A53JCE
Vin Prefix WBAFH8205D Engine Number Reg Date 02/08/1983
Order Type RC Retail Customer
Dealer 16127 Magpie
Dealer Tel [phone]

Production Week 29-07-1983 Pref PM


Model 6888 735I SE Saloon Auto
Colour 139 Bronze Metallic
Upholstery 0173 Nutria Cloth



AG Specification
Model 6888 735I SE Saloon Auto
Colour 139 Bronze
Upholstery 0173 Nutria Cloth
Ordered 209 Limited Slip Differe
Ordered 210 Anti-Blocking System
Ordered 290 TRX Tyres Alloy Rims
Sb 100% 314 N/S Heated Mirror
Ordered 350 Green Tinted Glass
Ordered 401 Electric Sliding Roo
Sb 100% 411 F+R Electric Windows
Ordered 415 Rear Window Blind
Ordered 458 Electric Front Seats
Ordered 460 Electric Rear Seats
Sb 100% 500 Headlight Wash-Wipe
Sb 100% 510 Interior Headlights
Ordered 534 Automatic Air Condit
Ordered 540 Automatic Speed Hold
Ordered 550 On-Board Computer
Sb 100% 812 GB Specification
Sb 100% 850 Additional Petrol

Retail price new £22,400

Those were the days.

New 740i Se today is £65k plus

Edited by Mark M on Friday 7th May 14:16

Yes but you can't buy a house for £65k today (well not really), back then 22k would. Maybe not the house the owner would have lived in though! In fact 22400 would have been much more unreachable then than £65k today.

Like the shed though, I was offered a slightly older one of these with the more sharky nose for £100 a couple of years back, woul dhave complimented my SD1 Vitesse quite well.

There is a garage in Chudleigh near Newton Abbot, which has an E28 528i in 20 paces good nick outside, had to rush by before temptation kicked in, mind it would be more than shed money.

Edited by grosserbaby on Friday 7th May 17:01

[nelly_h]

Love that.

"Ordered 540 Automatic Speed Hold" ... even the cruise control sounds all '80s and cool

[snolan]

recently saw a 750il at my local auction house go for 1200 quid,almost shed money, no warning lights showing and running as quiet as a mouse.didnt have the cash hence the emoticon

[tonym911]

Oddball RS said:

£400 tops.

+1

[traffman]

I have fond mammaries of wafting about in one of these as a young ph.

My grandfather purchased a 732 in silver back in 1980 , then a gold 732 in 1986 on a c plate.

Huge cars and plenty of room in the back.

[cramorra]

peasantgreenmetallic "landwirtschaftsgruenmetallic" is another "local" name for the colour)

[Peppka]

In 2001-2003 I worked in Turkmenistan my driver had one of these that he had fetched secondhand from Germany it was gold but had leather and electric seats and the AC worked very necessary since daytime temperatures can be 48 deg C. It had 280,000 km on the clock. We regularly drove from Ashgabat to Mary across the Carracombe desert 620 km in all in less than 5 hours and that included several checkpoints where you had to get out and show your passport. In all that time had one fanbelt go and a tyre burst when we were doing what in the UK would be very illegal speeds. The car still felt tight no undue rattles everything worked in dusty hot conditions mind ytou mpg used to drop into single figures if you toed it with AC working. Used to leave A'bat early morning as sun coming up to avoid worse of heat didn't go when dark as camels are a hazard they sleep in the middle of the road in the desert at night as tarmac is warm get up when they hear car coming car undercuts their legs and they fall on the roof. Came across a Toyota Camry once had hit 2 camels roof level with bonnet and boot all 4 occupants dead.

[derin100]

Mark M said:

Dlr Order : 0388918 AG Order : 8493404 Chassis : Reg Mark : A53JCE
Vin Prefix WBAFH8205D Engine Number Reg Date 02/08/1983
Order Type RC Retail Customer
Dealer 16127 Magpie
Dealer Tel [phone]

Production Week 29-07-1983 Pref PM


Model 6888 735I SE Saloon Auto
Colour 139 Bronze Metallic
Upholstery 0173 Nutria Cloth



AG Specification
Model 6888 735I SE Saloon Auto
Colour 139 Bronze
Upholstery 0173 Nutria Cloth
Ordered 209 Limited Slip Differe
Ordered 210 Anti-Blocking System
Ordered 290 TRX Tyres Alloy Rims
Sb 100% 314 N/S Heated Mirror
Ordered 350 Green Tinted Glass
Ordered 401 Electric Sliding Roo
Sb 100% 411 F+R Electric Windows
Ordered 415 Rear Window Blind
Ordered 458 Electric Front Seats
Ordered 460 Electric Rear Seats
Sb 100% 500 Headlight Wash-Wipe
Sb 100% 510 Interior Headlights
Ordered 534 Automatic Air Condit
Ordered 540 Automatic Speed Hold
Ordered 550 On-Board Computer
Sb 100% 812 GB Specification
Sb 100% 850 Additional Petrol

Retail price new £22,400

Those were the days.

New 740i Se today is £65k plus

Edited by Mark M on Friday 7th May 14:16

Using the Retail Price Index as the mark that £22,400 apparently translates to £56,600 as of 2008 (figures for 2009/10 yet yet available...but maybe round it up to say £58,000 for today?). Not much has changed really, huh? It was a very expensive back-in-the-day.

[Eggman]

I have one of these. Expect 17mpg overall and 23mpg on a run.

Unfortunately, mine's parked up for the time being due to an engine management problem that is going to be rather tiresome to fix. However, they are very refined, surprisingly quick when required and entertaining things to drive - not to mention increasingly rare. (When did you last see one on the road? I haven't seen one in motion for a couple of years at least).

These are not easy cars to work on at all. There is hardly any room around the engine and they're remarkably complex considering the age of them. Parts are getting pretty scarce and/or expensive (certainly from BMW), to the extent that I have been buying odd bits as they appear on E-bay 'just in case' and intend acquiring a parts donor as soon as I have space.

I wouldn't give you £900 for that one, although I would quite like its flywheel and those alloys - mine still has the factory TRX wheels; they're metric so the tyres cost an arm and a leg.

[redstu]

^ ouch still on metric wheels. My e28 had those , I used to get part worn tyres that were £50 each 10 years ago! They were rare even then.

[Libertine]

Hmm, my knowledge of BMW's isn't great, but it's good enough to know that this is not known as a "sharknose"...

Anyway, I love the car! My brother told my dad about one that was for sale at a local VW dealership. It was very similar to this one, but with the sharknose and with cream leather. This was circa '88....the car, an '81 model.

After going for a test drive, my dad was seriously considering it. I remember my brother and I being very impressed with the electric rear seats.

In the end, he didn't buy it. His company weren't too keen on him spending his car allowance on such an old car, in the days when everyone bought brand new cars.

[snolan]

actually forgot ihad a t,reg 733 bought for 300quid about 20 years ago at auction,threads of one spark plug snapped off in the head,this cost another 300 and being a naive 18 year old thinking german cars did,nt rust i spent this before checking underneath and at the mot about 2 months later discovered the car was rotten as a stick.

[interloper]

Love that! Its the same shade of pale metallic gold (bronzit beige to be precise) and predictably from the same era as my E28 5 series but I only get electric front seats to play with in mine!

Sadly I don't really need another big gas guzzling beemer.

[Eggman]

If you park one of these amongst modern cars it looks rather as if it might eat them all the moment your back is turned - styling-wise it's alligator vs baby bunnies

[Hell27]

Great shed, and looks like a bargain.....................

Then I spotted this. 2.5K for this stunning car. Unbelievable.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1539937.htm

[redstu]

^ now if it was the long wheel base I might be interested!

[Sand1]

I love these old beemers, so much character and very retro.

[James_P]

My old man has the same model with olive green leather interior and that lovely gold / champagne paintwork, bought it new, resides in Italy and has only 45k miles on it! Starts every year too

[willE36]

WANT. (in a bigger font) SO BADLY!

tend to like most of the SOTWs, but this one is on a whole new level. Will now read the article = )

have now read the article after a few distractions. The car still looks fascinating. 3 speed auto box though... not too sure about that, but liking the diff

Have tried to get my mum and my housemates to buy it, but they don't seem that keen... and now all of a sudden, want a manual!

Edited by willE36 on Saturday 8th May 00:35