1990 BMW 635 CSI Highline Shadowline

One of the last cars built, this lovely 220bhp BMW 635 CSi Highline Shadowline not only benefits from being built by folk who had thirteen years of experience under their belt, its status as a Highline model means the interior wears more leather than an entire YMCA convention.

Seemingly honest in its presentation, it wears its 149,000 miles lightly; like us all, it has a few minor signs of aging on the outside but the interior is amazingly fresh for a car of this age and mileage and the owner tells us that it has been “mechanically faultless” since he’s had it and has never let him down.

It still features a host of lovely little details like the original toolkit, first aid kit, and even the torch in the glovebox. One for the enthusiast with an eye to perhaps using it as their everyday car??? 

Being a Shadowline variant, the brightwork has been replaced with matt black trim, giving the car a stronger presence. The bodywork appears straight and amazingly tidy given that it has been on the road since the late eighties. The panel fit is good and the tight, consistent shut lines would appear to indicate that it hasn’t been in a serious accident. The nose cone looks to have been refreshed at some point as it is suspiciously free of stone chips but we think that’s the work of a conscientious owner rather than anything more sinister.

This is supported by the doors, which still open and close with a precision that is often absent and pillarless side windows that still seal tightly against their rubbers apart from the driver’s side door seal, which has started to perish, the rear rubber spoiler is in good shape, remaining supple and soft rather than hard and crumbly.

The electric sunroof opens and closes as it should and sits four-square in the frame, and the wheel arches are in good condition and free of the sort of rust that is present on many cars of this era.

Of course, there is some patination: the bonnet is a bit faded and there are little chips and scuffs here and there but, in our opinion, there is absolutely nothing that actually needs sorting out bar a small spot of rust at the top of the rear screen. It is, in fact, in exactly the sort of condition that is consistent with a car that has been enjoyed but looked after properly.

For what it is worth we think a proper, three-stage paint correction at a cost of a couple of hundred pounds would freshen the car up enough for you to be able to ignore its light patination for many years to come.

The wheels are the original metric BBS-style alloys, and they wear the correct 240/45 x 415 Michelin TRX tyres, all of which have a decent amount of tread. The nearside wheels have been scuffed, but the scuffing is light enough for the remedial work to be on the ‘nice to do’ list rather than needing more immediate attention.

The windscreen, which has started to delaminate in the lower nearside corner, will need replacing at some point too but this is a common fault and one that is not difficult to live with.

The interior is probably our favourite part of the car. The basic design itself still looks fresh and simple and serves as a reminder of how bloated modern cars have become, weighed down with unnecessary features and controls; the BMW has everything you need and nothing that you don’t. It all falls neatly to hand too, and the dashboard instruments are a model of clarity and effortless elegance.

The front seats are still firm and supportive, and are surprisingly comfortable given the reputation some German cars have for being overly firm on the posterior. The rear seats look to be almost unused (which is hardly surprising given how little rear legroom there is…) but the offside bolster on the driver’s seat does show some wear. Nothing that is bad enough to warrant being called damage but it will need some attention, if for no other reason than because the rest of the interior is so good.

It’s full of lovely little details too, like the vertical chrome plates that sit in the door shuts. They’re genuinely lovely, and would bring a smile to your lips every single time you opened the door.

The gear lever is a charmingly blunt, purposeful item and the car has three gearbox settings, too. The three-spoke steering wheel might be a little on the large side but there’s no denying that it feels good in the hand and is wonderfully simple in design. A modern Blaupunkt headunit is a nice touch.

The door cards are in good condition, as are the carpets and headlining; we’re not sure when we last saw a leather headlining, and while it isn’t unique nor is it something you see every day, either.

And it’s not just the seats and the headlining; almost every surface is swathed in high-quality grey leather, including pretty much the entire dashboard. It’s all in great shape, and wears its years even better than the paintwork.

The boot is clean and tidy and is home to the spare wheel (which is a proper one to match the rest), the first aid kit, and the original toolkit. The OE torch is still in the glovebox, too.

While we haven’t tested everything, the only faults we can find are an inoperative offside rear window, a damaged trip computer screen, and a heater fan that doesn’t work.

The engine bay is grubby but in good shape bar the airbox, which has a smattering of surface rust on it. Still, that would be the work of a moment to freshen up with a rattle can of black paint and some wet ‘n’ dry paper.

The owner tells us that it benefits from recent discs and pads plus a heater matrix. There are invoices for a fair bit of work to the suspension and fuel system in 2015 too, plus one for the gearbox, which was fettled by TES Transmissions Ltd in 2017. The car needed a new ball joint and some repairs to the nearside rear sill section for last year's MOT.

We can confirm that it runs well and starts on the button (please see the video), even after lying unused for a while. Keen watchers may remember this car, which we previously auctioned last summer when the previous owner drove it down to us from Lancashire, a 200 miles or so journey, which should give you an indication of his faith in it. The car has barely been used since changing hands last year, which is the reason for it being sold this time round.

We are aware of a minor, intermittent fault with the gear selector, which doesn't always engage "Park", but can confirm we have tested it on a slope - a wiggle of the selector/pressing the release button does solve the issue. We suspect more frequent use of the car or possibly a simple re-grease of the mechanism would produce a more permanent fix.

This car does benefit from a brand new battery, just purchased by the seller.

The online MOT history shows nothing of any concern, and the current certificate expires in October 2020. The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus two boxes of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years in addition to a stamped service history booklet and owner’s wallet.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a good standard.

Only for sale because it simply isn’t being used as much as he would like, if it were ours we’d be tempted to give it a damn good machine polish, sort out the few little niggles that any old car develops, and then just get on and enjoy using it without the worry of owning something that is too rare and perfect to drive regularly.

And, despite its condition and pedigree, we don’t think that it will sell for the sort of silly money that some vendors are asking for theirs. The seller has now agreed a no reserve auction. We think it should end up somewhere between £8,000 and £12,000, which seems very reasonable for a car like this.

This car is with us here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to ask questions, 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car as being in a good condition may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this.

That said, we do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or those formed as a result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.