BMW 750iL (E38) | Spotted
Thought a V12-powered, former Bond car BMW would command serious money these days? Not necessarily...
It’s amazing what the starring role in a James Bond movie can do to a car’s reputation. What other reason would there be for ten-year-old me to collect Corgi models of a 1.8-litre BMW Z3 (with the mentioned but never seen missiles), an AEC Regent double-decker bus (the top part came off and it was ace) and a Renault 11 taxi (er, the boot opened)? And while Aston Martin can comfortably stand on its own two legs without Bond’s help, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have 007 mucking about in one every once in a while.
Back to BMW, and to perhaps one of the most obscure Bond cars of the lot: the 750iL. Yes, it’s nowhere near as shoddy as the aforementioned bus and taxi, but those weren’t proper Bond mobiles prepped by Q’s workshop. The 7 Series was, however, and although the E38 was about as elegant as a four-door limo could be, it wasn’t exactly up to snuff by Bond car standards. And yet a set of roof rockets, Ericsson-controlled steering and a big V12 cemented it as a 007 legend in my book. Wind the clock forward to the present day and the hankering for a 750iL has only grown stronger.
Moreover, the E38 looks arguably even more magnificent in 2024 than it did 30 years ago. You could argue it has its successor to thank for that (especially the pre-facelifted E65, though none of the follow-up 7s have been real lookers), but for a car weighing the best part of two tonnes and designed to ferry about dignitaries, it is surprisingly graceful. This 1999 car only shares its M Sport wheels with the Bond car, but is all the better for it. The Aegean Blue Metallic paintwork over Biscuit leather is a fantastic combination, though it's the blue carpets, seat piping and even interior plastics that make this spec even more special.
Oh, and the 5.4-litre V12 up front, of course. The M73 can’t lay claim to powering a Le Mans winner, though it was an evolution of the motor that, in one form or another, was bolted to the McLaren F1 and BMW V12 LMR. Obviously, the 750iL is better suited to an autobahn than the Mulsanne Straight, with its twelve-cylinder delivering a more modest (but still pretty punchy by 1990s standards) 326hp and 361lb ft of torque, all sent through a five-speed automatic for maximum waft.
Aiding said waft was self-levelling suspension and BMW’s electronic damper control system, which would have helped isolate 1990s VIPs from the horrors of Britain’s roads. They’d also benefit from extra legroom (this is the long wheelbase car, after all), wooden picnic tables, a fax connector and the obligatory ’90s telephone that probably doesn’t work any more, though we'd all happily be proven wrong on that. What does work, as stressed by the seller, is the mini fridge tucked between the rear armrest. Result.
With V12 power, glorious spec and relative rarity (HowManyLeft says there are 24 left on the road and 79 SORN'd), you’d expect this 750iL to be lumped with a collector-grade price tag or even a POA. But no, Munich Legends wants £26,995 for it, confirming that all the kit works as it should and that the engine’s running smoothly “with a few bits tidied up”. Perhaps it’s the Bond-loving side of my brain talking, but for a fine, 44,000-mile example of arguably the best 7 Series there’s ever been, this one seems like a bit of a no-brainer.
SPECIFICATION | BMW 750iL (E38)
Engine: 5,379cc V12
Transmission: five-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 326@5,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 361@3,900rpm
MPG: 19.9
CO2: 327g/km
Year registered: 1999
Recorded mileage: 44,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £26,995
I can remember reading about the first 750iL and barely comprehending what over 300hp would be like and thinking that it was a colossal amount of power when in fact it’s just 65hp per litre, how our motoring technology has evolved.
BMW did make the cant rail a bit too straight along the rear door, which gives the optical illusion that the roof sags a bit there. I don't remember that on the long E32s, though it might have been similar. We're too used moderns, where everything is wonky and nothing's straight.
I agree it’s a good looking car though. One of the few large saloons you can drive without the automatic assumption you’re an executive transfer service.
If I was in the market, this example would be dismissed (or a complete retrim factored in) no matter how nice the rest of the car seems to be.
Munich Legends... that'll top the price up. Prices are a bit higher these days, so they'll have a £7-8k car up at £10-12k.
Wait, what? £27k???!!!
"Thought a V12-powered, former Bond car BMW would command serious money these days? Not necessarily..."
How much are they paying staff writers over in PH Towers?
The E38, especially in 750 form, is one of the very few BMWs I'd like to own - and the only big one. The other thing about the long wheelbase E38s is that they and the W126 Mercedes are the only two luxury cars that defy chronological gravity - you could see a head of state, a captain of industry or an ambassador getting out of one of these today and it would still look 'right' and not as if they were driving some classic.
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