1988 BMW 635 CSI Highline

This particular 635CSI was first registered on 01 August 1988, and has racked up an impressive 161,831 miles during its adventures.

Having had 9 former keepers prior to the current owner, this ‘sharknose’ has enjoyed numerous honeymoon periods of ownership, and benefits from a strong factory specification including both the ‘comfort’ front seats and fully-electric rear seats, along with a sunroof and rear window blind among other options.

Recently, the vehicle has benefitted from a full external respray into the factory Zinnobar Red colour at the cost of £3,000, the invoice for which is included below.

The Zinnobar Red paintwork is in very good condition thanks to having been recently sprayed, retaining a rich colour and impressive depth to the paintwork.

There are a few marks to the paint around the lower front bumper splitter which have been touched in, along with some bubbling notable around the rear lights within the numberplate recess, along with a small patch on the boot lid and some deterioration notable to the sunroof panel

The chrome detailing all appears to be present and intact, though this has some patina visible and would likely benefit from refurbishment, along with the wheels that are seen on the vehicle.

While the majority of the bodywork looks to be nice and straight with no noted impact damage, the passenger door does require alignment and the window does not always seat correctly within the door rubbers, as can be seen in the photo gallery below.

On the subject of the wheels, the car is supplied with three freshly refurbished period correct BBS wheels, the fourth is in the spare wheel well with a TRX tyre fitted. Also in the boot, is a freshly refurbished Aston Martin wheel, with a very similar design to the BBS wheels, the photos of these can be seen in the gallery.

Inside, this 6-Series presents well generally, though it is in need of some TLC.

The front seats are in excellent shape and appear to have been re-covered at some stage in their life, judging by the condition of the material and slightly darker shade than the rest of the tan leather interior which will, of course, have been lightened by repeated use and exposure to the sun.

Elsewhere, the carpets are in need of a thorough valet, with the driver’s side over mat and footwell being particularly worn, along with the carpet having come away from the right-hand-side of the footwell.

The rear seats would benefit from being re-trimmed as per the front set, though a thorough feeding and cleaning would likely also work wonders and bring them back to a presentable standard.

The headliner doesn’t appear to be showing any major signs of sagging, though it is ever so slightly drooping towards the outer edges at the rear, though this is minor.

While most systems seem to be working as they should, the aftermarket stereo fitted to the vehicle is not sitting flush with the rest of the dashboard, while the drivers seatbelt socket also did not engage, meaning the vehicle will have to be trailered to its new home.

The inspection light is also on, along with the ABS warning light.

The vehicle has been comprehensively undersealed recently which will help prolong the life of this classic BMW, however this does mean that it is more difficult to inspect the condition of the vehicle’s chassis.

From what we can see, there is some corrosion on the usual suspension components and fixings, but beyond that it is tricky to establish a full condition report. We always encourage viewing cars in-person with us here at our Abingdon HQ, and we would welcome such an inspection on this vehicle.

In terms of mechanical performance, the car starts and idles with ease, though there is an unusual issue with the immobiliser which requires a ‘dance’ of tapping the immobiliser, starting the car (which will set off the alarm) then tapping the immobiliser again and starting the car correctly.

On the road, the car drives and steers well, but is clearly in need of attention to the brakes which are very spongy and clearly not making correct contact with the discs - judging by the wear pattern - and there is a persistent creaking noise coming from what appears to be the offside rear suspension.

Included with the vehicle is the V5 ownership document, a number of invoices from the late 90’s and the aforementioned invoice for the recent respray, along with two keys and an immobiliser fob.

With regards to older documentation, there are invoices showing work for a new cylinder head and gasket from 2011, servicing from 2006, and a new fuel tank being fitted during 2007.

There is also stacks of old MOT certificates and tax discs, which are a nice addition to any car’s history folder as it allows the new owner to ‘track’ the vehicle throughout its lifetime.

Offering iconic styling, impressive performance and an incredible presence that very few other cars of the era can hold a candle to, the 635 CSI is a true icon of 80’s motoring.

This particular example presents the opportunity to obtain such an icon without the over-inflated prices of concours examples, and appears to only require some minor mechanical fettling and a thorough interior valet and refurbishment before it’s ready to hit the road once again.

As such, we estimate it will reach in the region of £8,000 to £13,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.