1991 BMW 850i

Finished in Mauritius Blue Metallic with a light grey nappa leather interior, ‘J130 PBX’ is still only on its second private UK keeper, the first of which kept it for more than two decades.

The seller bought it eleven years ago and was only able to do so because the previous owner had passed away – and as he’s a classic and kit car dealer, it’s probably fair to assume that when he picks a car for his personal use, it’s going to be a good ‘un.

Which this one certainly seems to be. Offered with a very good service history and a strong colour, ready to tackle whatever you want to throw at it, whether that be wafting around the West End, or road-tripping around Europe.
 

My, it’s a beauty, isn’t it? With utterly straight panels devoid of even the smallest dink or dent, the Mauritius Blue Metallic paint is free to strut its stuff on one of the neatest canvases we’ve seen in a very long time.

Admire too the shutlines, which are every bit as good as they should be given it would have set its first owner back the equivalent of £160,000.

The rear window still boasts a sticker from the dealer who supplied the car 34 years ago, the badges are shiny and bright, the lamp lenses are free of cracks and fading, the door mirror cappings are untroubled by scuffs, and the window glazing is excellent.

The BBS-style, split-rim, 17-inch alloy wheels, which couldn’t be more of-the-period if they were wearing ripped denims and a flat-top, do have some light scuffs to the rims, as well as a few patches of peeling lacquer.

There’s probably no hurry to get all four done though because they aren’t at all bad and it would make sense to get them refurbished at the same time as you fit new tyres.

Which might be a while in the case of the front ones, as they’re recent Nexen Nfera SU1s. And the rears were replaced shortly after the last MOT advisory.

The tilt ‘n’ slide sunroof glides fore and aft at the touch of a button and fills the aperture four-square when it’s closed. The headlamps also pop up and down to order, but the fact that both still work shouldn’t be a surprise because the 8-Series dates back to a time when engineers were in charge, not accountants.

This also means that flaws are few: the weathered rubber seal ‘twixt bonnet and front panel, or the blemish on the nearside corner of the rear bumper.

The rear screen has had a slight delamination of the glass, so has been stuck down with a strip of duct tape. 
 

If the coachwork impressed, the interior is going to blow you away because it is even better – and not only because of its underlying quality, although no one has ever deployed butter-soft nappa leather more effectively than this.

Because it looks like a car that’s covered a quarter of the mileage in, perhaps, five years. With only the very gentlest of creasing to the outer bolsters of the front seats, plus a tiny wear mark to the driver’s seat, every other surface and material has dismissed three-and-a-half decades of use with the same contempt the Dowager Countess of Grantham dismissed, well, everything

The rear seats, which are divided by what might just be the widest transmission tunnel of any modern classic, are even better. Looking like they’ve barely been touched, much less been sat on, it would take a brave owner to risk their condition by letting anyone actually use them. No, far better to perhaps throw a Hermes silk scarf back there and call it extra luggage space.

Of course, being a child of its time, it isn’t overtly luxurious, only revealing itself as the pedigree it is when you use it, at which point you’ll note the unusual precision with which the switches and controls operate. And the flawless ergonomics. And the seats, which are all-day comfortable and electrically adjustable.

The centre console contains three DIN-sized compartments that contain, from top to bottom, the trip computer, the headunit, and the heating and air-conditioning system. It’s a terrific arrangement, and as easy on the eye as the ultra-clear instrumentation that lies behind the fat-rimmed steering wheel.

The boot contains a full-size spare alloy wheel and the complete-and-probably-unused tool kit; the first aid compartment contains the, er, first aid kit; and the velvet lining of the various storage compartments dotted throughout the cabin are unsullied.

Flaw, therefore, are few but do include the small mark we mentioned on the outer edge of the driver’s seat next to the three-position memory button, and slight stickiness to the mirror joystick in the driver’s door.
 

The 5.0-litre V12 engine develops 295bhp and 332lb/ft of torque, enough to whisk the 850i to 62mph in 7.1 seconds, which is mightily impressive considering the BMW’s 1,745kgs kerb weight.

But the 850i was no low-budget bruiser. The 8 Series was the first production car in the world to feature a drive-by-wire throttle, and the engine had not one, but two computers to control it. Fear not, though because all of that technology conspired to produce a very reliable car, even after three-and-a-half decades of use.

The combination of a very low drag co-efficient (the same as a modern Porsche 918…), that mighty V12 engine, the seamless automatic gearbox and one of the nicest interiors of its generation make this the ideal grand touring car in which to whisk a loved one across Europe.

But only if it’s been maintained accordingly, which this one has with no fewer than 13 main dealer stamps, plus another four from an independent:

• 07.11.1991- pre-delivery inspection by Alan Oddy
• 17.12.1991 and 2,225 miles – running-in inspection by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 11.03.1992 and 5,575(?) miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 22.10.1992 and 21,347 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 04.05.1993 and 14,184. miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 08.11.1994 and 28,672 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd including fresh brake fluid
• 31.10.1995 and 35,819 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 18.08.1997 and 42,527 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 11.09.1998 and 49,440 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 17.09.1999 and 56,099 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 31.08.2000 and 63,314 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 30.10.2001 and 69,424 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 09.09.2002 and 73,640 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd including fresh brake fluid
• 04.08.2003 and 76,565 miles – service by Specialist Cars Ltd
• 27.09.2006 and 82611 miles - service by  Alan Oddy (invoiced but not stamped)
• 29.06.2009 and 88245 miles - service by Alan Oddy (invoiced but not stamped)
• 18.02.2016 and 94,860 miles – service by Art Motor Engineers
• 13.09.2017 and 97,431 miles – service by Art Motor Engineers
• 07.10.2019 and 99,888 miles – service by Art Motor Engineers
• 10.11.2021 and 101,641 miles – service by Art Motor Engineers

It’s got the invoices on file to back those stamps up too.

As you can see, it starts well, idles solidly, revs like a dream, and makes nothing more than a subdued whisper, even when pushed; this is a car for going very fast in, not making a fuss.

The condition of the engine and underbonnet area is very good, and they need nothing more than a wipe over to make them fit for display at your local car show – and if you wanted to display it more widely, they probably need little more than a professional valet plus, perhaps, freshening up the underbonnet insulation.

The underside shows the usual light corrosion to the steel suspension components and fasteners, but it doesn’t appear to be anything more than a cosmetic issue as no MoT tester has ever mentioned structural rust. In fact, the only rust we spotted is the merest hint of light surface corrosion in the spare wheel well but even that is years away from being a problem.

The underside shows the odd light scuff too, which is part and parcel of inner city driving these days given the proliferation of speed-reducing measures. 
 

First registered on the 4th of November 1991 to a BMW main dealer, its first private owner appears to have taken delivery on the 27th of March 1992. He kept it until he passed away 22 years later, after which the seller bought it on the 19th of August 2014.

The BMW’s MoT certificate is valid until April 2026.

It is worth noting that some car data check companies throw up a 'stolen' marker as per our report. However, the Vendor has told us that this relates to a different vehicle altogether which was stolen in 2003 with the private registration plate B3 PAN. This particular private plate was only later applied to the BMW 850 between 29/10/2010 and 17/07/2014.

It also comes with two keys plus the master, the BMW wallet and book pack, a stamped service history booklet, and plenty of old invoices to demonstrate the care with which it has been maintained and serviced.
 

If Liar’s Poker is your favourite book, you miss John Major’s premiership, and can’t stop singing Bryan Adams’ Everything I Do, then this is the car for you.

It’s also the car for you if you simply enjoy going very fast, very comfortably, and very reliably.

Impeccably engineered as standard, this one has also been fastidiously maintained, so you could hand down to your children to enjoy when you’ve finished with it – and with only a modicum of care, they could probably do the same.

And it’s only likely to cost you somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000, which doesn’t seem like much given how much pleasure it’s going to give you; and given it also happens to be the sum you’d have to pay to get behind the wheel of a middling Dacia Duster, the case for buying this slice of German heavy metal kinda' makes itself, eh?

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’.