1997 BMW 750iL

The vendor, who has expertly cornered a niche market for importing high-quality, prestige RHD cars from Japan, knows more about buying and selling cars from the Land of the Rising Sun than anyone else we know and he has a very good eye for quality and value.

Now, while we don’t know as much as he does about the Japanese market, we do know this: Japanese people are fastidious in the care and curation of their cars – especially top-end, European, luxury models.

What’s more, they live in a country where salt is for Sumo wrestlers to throw over their shoulders, not for the Osaka Municipal Roadworks Department to shovel all over the roads.

Ergo, Japanese imports are almost always rust-free and in very good condition.

Which brings us to this 1997 BMW 750iL which, although not perfect, is fundamentally very sound and offers a great deal of prestigious, high-quality, pedigree car for the money.

The car’s elegant, understated bodywork is in very decent condition except for the nearside sill which has scuffing and a few minor dinks along its length.

The doors and shut-lines are all you would hope and expect to find on a car of this quality.

The silver paintwork is pretty reasonable, too, but would no doubt thank its next owner for a good machine polish with some appropriate products.

We noticed a few scratches beneath the side windows on the offside, a patch of lumpy paint (possibly overspray) atop the o/s/f wing, a dink near the leading edge of the bonnet on the nearside, a long-ish scratch on the nearside front door and a standard scattering of scuffs and paint chips around the front and rear valances.

The outer plastic skin on the lower section of the boot lid has come loose from the underlying bodywork and we spotted that the plastic trim above the windscreen is rather dry and cracked in places.

The wheels are pretty good, save for a couple of minor scuffs, and the Toyo Proxes tyres look to have a decent amount of life left in them.

The vendor has asked us to highlight the following;

72k miles with verified mileage certificate

Pearlescent Silver paint work

Xenon headlamps

Headlamp power wash

Soft close boot

Matching Toyo tyres all round with 80%+ tread

Totally original paint work

Totally rust free, never used on salt road surfaces

UK spec front and rear number plate plinths

Active ride suspension

New battery

Runs and drives very well, silent suspension, smooth gearbox changes,engine temperature steady, no unusual emissions,  engine pulls very well will benefit from a full service and new front discs as slight vibration on braking, totally original bodywork that has a few marks during shipping process, a professional detailer can correct all and maintain the originality of the pearlescent paintwork. Overall in amazing condition for 28 years of age. 

Opening the doors reveals the true meaning of the ‘iL’ badging: this car has oodles of leg room in the back and would be a fine place to while away some quality time on a long journey.

Everywhere you look there are cubbyholes, pockets, bins and other places to put stuff. We’ve seen two-bedroom flats with less storage space.

The interior, wholly unsurprisingly given that the car has only covered 72,000 miles, is in really very good condition.

Again, it’s not perfect - the headlining is baggy and loose at the rear, some of the plastic coating is coming away from the wood veneers on the centre console, and the interior of the front centre armrest storage unit is cracked and broken - but these are pretty easy fixes, in our opinion, and don’t subtract significantly from the car’s overall appeal.

The black leather upholstery is in very decent condition, front and back, and probably just needs a decent feed and clean to restore it to its full former glory.
The rear and side window blinds are in place and fully functional.

Both passengers benefit from detachable writing tables, along with fixed picnic tables.

The carpets and mats are good throughout, including in the enormous boot, which contains a full-sized spare wheel and what appears to be a full, original took-kit.

As far as we’re aware, all switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials and other electrics respond to instructions in a timely and accurate fashion.

​The vendor has asked us to highlight the following;

Smoke and pet free

Double glazed acoustic glass

Rear electric screen blind

Rear door blinds

Rear foot rests

Rear picnic tables

Rear pull out writing table

Rear entertainment console

Rear electric recline and heated seats with memory

Electric sunroof

Rear climate control

Rear aux audio outputs

Front electric and heated seats with memory

Electric steering adjust with memory

Cruise control

CD multi changer

Sat Nav

Walnut wood veneers

Of course, the most valuable jewel in this car’s undoubtedly impressive crown is under the bonnet.

Lift it up and you’ll be greeted by the sight of a very full engine bay that’s playing host to a magnificent V12 power unit.

Everything is clean, dry, orderly and appears to be in its right and proper place.

The car’s undersides are equally clean and dry. It is a Japanese import after all.

This car comes with no history and no service records covering its time in Japan, but we think it’s safe to make two assumptions.

Firstly, it will have been well looked-after and diligently maintained by its Japanese owners.

Secondly, we know that the vendor only imports very good examples.

It comes with a V5C UK registration document and an MoT certificate – with no advisories whatsoever – that’s valid until 7.10.25.

These magnificently engineered, specified and constructed cars were born in the white heat of a decades-long automotive arms race between Munich’s 7 Series and Stuttgart’s S-Class.

Each goaded the other into pushing the technology, comfort and performance envelopes as far as possible.

Arguably, BMW had to try harder because the S-Class had long been the benchmark to which all other luxury manufacturers aspired.

We could make a good argument for saying that they won the race with this model, which matched the ‘S’ for power, pace and luxury while adding superior dynamics and driver appeal.

One or two minor cosmetic issues aside, this is a fine example of a hugely capable and competent car.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £10,000 - £14,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.