1991 BMW E34 M5

Recently imported from South Africa by the seller, ‘H102 XNP’ is every enthusiast’s dream, an E34 M5 that’s going to sell for considerably less than usual.

Still in the care of its only registered UK keeper, a man who’s owned it for three years but used it only for the past one, this 1991 BMW M5 is finished in a discreet shade of blue. It also has a fetching grey leather interior and the 3.6-litre engine under the bonnet.

In need of some work, if you thought the definitive high-performance saloon had appreciated out of reach, think again…

Like many cars that have spent their lives in hot climates, the M5’s paintwork is not the best we’ve seen because it boats more than its fair share of scratches and swirl marks in addition to the odd patch of missing lacquer.

Not that this is too much of a problem because wouldn’t you rather buy a car in need of paint rather than welding? 

Because that self-same sun, the one that has damaged the finish, has also helped preserved the underlying metal – and we know which problem we’d rather have. 

Besides, who knows what a professional machine-polish might achieve? 

And it isn’t as if it looks that bad, either. With decent panel alignment and a nice sheen to the top coat, we reckon you could drive it as it is until you’ve sorted out the mechanical side of things and replenished the kitty sufficiently to get its appearance sorted.

Helping you in your quest to keep costs down are the lamp lenses, window glass, windscreen, and badges, all of which are good.

As are the alloy wheels, which are, again, in a decent enough condition to drive around on until their refurbishment rises to the top of your To Do list. 

They’re fitted with a mixture of Roadstone N7000 tyres on the front and Continental SportContact 2. One of the Roadstone’s has some chunks taken out of the sidewall and all four are getting on a bit, so a prudent owner would consider replacing the tyres as a priority.

The wheels are genuine Rondell staggered rims.

As for the rest of the external concerns, you could add sorting out the rust that’s starting to appear on the sunroof and boot lid, and look at the front bumper, which is cracked and damaged. 

The grey leather interior is a wonderful combination of subtle grey and vivid M-Sport stripes. It’s a beguiling combination and one the perforated seat centres and ruched leather door cards contribute to.

And those seats are great, aren’t they? Electrically adjustable – and we are told that “everything works electrically” – they’re in fine fettle and hold you as tightly as you’d hope given the M5’s propensity for high-G cornering.

The rest of the interior is in a decent condition. Lightly worn, but far better than you’ve got any right to expect to find in a car with this mileage on the clock.

The boot is decent too and holds a full-size spare alloy wheel and tyre. However, while it looks solid it is a bit grubby and some of the tools in the boot-mounted tool kit are missing.

This is, of course, just one of a few jobs inside that’ll keep you occupied for a few hours.

The wooden gearknob might be attractive but it isn’t the original. The leather gaiter on the handbrake is perished, the driver’s door card and handle have seen better days, as have the seatbelt buckle and the carpet.

Less pressing is the headlining, which is starting to get a bit baggy around the sunroof. It’s otherwise in good shape though, so sorting it out might not be too expensive.

Originality buffs might like to source a factory headunit to replace the modern Pioneer that’s been fitted.

Shall we get the bad news out of the way first? 

We think the head gasket has gone. As you can see in the video, the exhaust is puffing white smoke, so we think coolant is getting into the combustion chambers. We could be wrong, but it does mean it’s being sold as a project car that needs work doing to it before it can safely be driven. 

Does that sound fair?

Now we’ve got the bad bits out of the way, the seller did drive the car to us.

The straight-six certainly starts well, idles and revs without making any untoward noises, and the dashboard is free of warning lights.

The speedometer, which reads in km/h, shows a mileage of 343,000 kilometres. It also shows the M5 is almost due for its next service.

As you can see from the attached invoices, the owner has carried out some work on it during his ownership including stuff like the timing chain and tensioner and fitting new brake discs.

However, like so many imported cars, little is known of it prior to its arrival in the UK, which means you must set your bidding based solely on its current condition rather than being able to rely on a history file to help guide you.

More good news comes with the information that the seller says he took the sill covers off and found the sills underneath were in good shape and there was “no welding visible”.

The engine bay is clean and tidy but you’re going to be spending some time under the bonnet anyway, which means you’ll be ideally placed to bring it up to whatever standard you’re comfortable with.

The underside looks good bar a few scuffs. More importantly, no MoT tester has ever mentioned rust or structural corrosion, so that’s one of your main worries taken care of.

The BMW’s MoT certificate is valid until August 2024 and it, like the one before, was issued with no advisories.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car and the M5 comes with two keys and invoices spanning the past three years.

The BMW E34 M5 is an iconic car for good reason. Considered by many to be the peak of M5 badassery, the fact this one needs some work doing means it’s going to be cheap.

Very cheap.

Because our estimate is that the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000.

And, if you win, you can draw comfort knowing you’ll also be adding value to the BMW with every job you tick off the list - and given the E34 M5’s reputation for rock-solid residuals, you might come out of it very well.

And that’s without factoring in the fun you’re going to have with it.

Merry Christmas y’all!

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.