Eleven unused E34 5 Series BMWs found
Originally intended as Bulgarian rental cars, you can take your pick from these never-registered 520i and 525i E34s
We're all familiar with the weird, wonderful and sometimes extremely rare cars to have been unearthed in barns, but finds that reveal cars with only delivery mileage are almost unheard of. Imagine the excitement, then, when eleven unregistered E34 5 Series BMWs were discovered in a Bulgarian warehouse. The finder must have thought they'd landed upon a Bavarian gold mine.
It's thought that a hire car company purchased these E34s in 1994, but for reasons that are yet to be understood, they never saw use. After 25 years of abandonment, the line-up, comprised of one estate and ten saloons in 520i and 525i forms, is no longer immaculate, with some cars suffering paint fade or receiving dents and scratches over their lives. But, aside from one that looks to have a broken back window, the vast majority appear to have interiors in a showroom-like condition. The seats have even retained their plastic delivery covers!
Returning cars that have sat for so long to the road will be no simple task, as many PHers will know from first-hand experience. The suspension, brakes and hydraulics will likely all need attention, and there's no guarantee that rodents won't have gnawed their way through wires to render the electrics kaput. But, as far as the metal bits go, these cars are probably the best-kept E34s in existence. Certainly they'll be the most original.
Bulgaria doesn't allow cars not certified to modern emissions limits to be registered these days, so, according to Autoclub.bg, the cars are likely to be imported to Germany or other neighbouring countries for sale there, as they can be registered and put back on the road as classic cars. Thing is, E34s still exist in large numbers across Europe, and these 150hp 520i and 192hp 525i BMWs aren't the most sought after. As a result, the warehouse cars are estimated to sell for about €15,000 each. Not quite a gold mine, then, but still a very a handsome taking from a lucky find.
Image credit: Autoclub.bg
Having said that, £15k plus a potentially large bill to bring up to a usable standard requires quite conspicuous levels of commitment - it's not as though we're talking S38 powered beasties here (not least because we'd likely need to add a zero were that the case!). A well-used and cared for example is likely to to prove a more realistic and usable prospect for anyone other than a particularly nostalgic and well-funded collector. Money no object, I would certainly be interested as an antidote to the mainstream alternatives, depreciation be damned. What more could one need?
ETA: I like the idea of building an M5 out of one - the M50 would be snapped up by any E30 ./ E36 owners and replaced with a nice S38B36 or B38. Modern rust proofing and some other judicious tweaks / updates = my ideal DD.
Fabulous find.
I'm talking menial stuff like slow door locks, noisey heater blower, knackered slip rings on the wheel, sticky boot lock, phantom electrical issues, a (factory fitted) alarm system that sets itself off when it feels like it. The list goes on, yes they are all very fixable but E34s are getting to that point where these minor objects are becoming rarer and therefore more expensive.
I've got an E39 530i Sport 5 speed for daily duties now and there's a lot I like about it more than the E34, however it feels slightly less 'solid' than the E34, the doors feel a lot lighter, noise insulation seems to be a miniscule amount less and things like that.
Also, don't automatically assume that an E39 handles night and day better than an E34. It certainly has more grip and the rear end is less lively, but the E39 likes to snap whereas the E34 communicates that it's going to step out and doesn't mind being ushered back into the correct direction as and when you're ready for it to.
I'm quite happy with my driveway for the time being!
At least that is how the story goes.Allegedly at least a couple have been sold throughout the years.
Respray. New discs and pads. Full service. New tyres. Suspension refresh. 7k for a decent job? Probably approx 20k GBP all in assuming 13k for the car.
Might make sense for a bmw geek on the continent to use as a quirky daily, it must have pretty limited appeal to collectors.
Respray. New discs and pads. Full service. New tyres. Suspension refresh. 7k for a decent job? Probably approx 20k GBP all in assuming 13k for the car.
Might make sense for a bmw geek on the continent to use as a quirky daily, it must have pretty limited appeal to collectors.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff