2000 BMW 728 i

As a late model example, BMW had got its eye in by the time this one was built. Built on the 28th of October 1999 and first registered on the 1st of January 2000 (making it the ultimate millennial car…) it’s showing just three previous keepers.

The last owner had it for just over three years, buying it in January 2017 from the Devonshire Motor Company who certified its then mileage of 31,497. He kept it in a heated garage and added about 12,000 miles in it before part-exchanging it against an Aston Martin DB9.

The vendor bought it from a friend of his who owns the garage. Bought with the intention of schlepping between Blackpool and Manchester three times a week, he quickly discovered that it’s actually far too nice to ruin by racking up an indecent mileage…

Being a decent chap and a genuine car enthusiast he’s keen now to get it into the hands of someone who can appreciate and maintain its condition – and he’s more concerned with achieving that than he is with making big bucks, so is happy to offer it with no reserve, making this is your chance to get your hands on an ultra-low mileage Bond car for not a lot of money…

Finished in Anthrazit Metallic (colour code 397) the 7-Series looks stunning. With straight panels that are free of scratches, scuffs and ripples, the panel alignment is incredible with tight and even shutlines and an overall level of fit ‘n’ finish that shows just why BMW was so revered back-in-the-day.

The paint is in great shape too, with a very good sheen to it and the various bits of external trim are all good and well aligned still. The tinted glass is unsullied too, as are the light lenses and badges.

The OE 15-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels look fabulous, a state of affairs that is partly due to their unblemished condition but mainly because of the offset – you’ve got to love a deep-dish wheel, haven’t you?

They’re also fitted with a full set of Landsail tyres in October 2019, and the fact that they still have plenty of tread should come as no surprise given how new they are.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Flaws are few; aside from the inevitable (very few) stonechips and minor marks (a couple of light scuffs to the outer corner of the black rubber trim on the bumpers), the only other slight problem we can see is a small dent on the offside front wing on the wheel arch outer edge, as shown in the gallery. It’s not bad at all and because the paint isn’t broken it should be straightforward to get it removed by one of the usual suspects.

The Sandbeige (colour code O7SN) interior is wonderfully complemented by glossy wooden veneer trim. Reeking of class and Old Money charm, it’s a great shape and utterly fit for its original purpose of shuttling the great and the good around the globe.

Its interior specification is appropriately vast and includes sunblinds, a warning triangle, the smoker’s package, parking distance control, a radio clock, sun protection glass and a front armrest.

It’s also got the original satellite navigation system and TV, plus the BMW-branded car telephone in the centre armrest. We haven’t tested the TV or mobile phone, but the sat-nav appears to work, and it's worth mentioning there are a few dim pixels on the main instrument display. (But heh, every family has a few dim pixels, right?)

The tan leather seats are in fine fettle with only the lightest of creasing and mild patination. They’re also electrically adjustable and have a memory setting for easy swapping between your chauffeur in the week and you and your partner at the weekend.

The multi-function steering wheel is in good condition and the gear knob is one of the finest we’ve ever seen, which is weird given its only job is to select Drive or Reverse at the start and end of every journey... Yes, we know that it can also be used to change gears manually, but surely no 7-Series driver has ever changed gear manually – and nor should they.

It’s the same story for the headlining, door cards, carpets, dashboard, and rear seats; they’re all magnificent and a credit to the car’s former owners.

The boot is clean and home to the spare wheel, CD multi-changer, DVD-based sat-nav, toolkit, battery and warning triangle. Lifting the good carpets shows only clean, solid metal underneath.

Problems? Well, being nit-picky, the air-conditioning whilst working, might benefit from re-gassing to make it blow ice-cold, but that’s about it, which isn’t bad for a 20-year-old example of one of the world’s most high-tech cars, is it?

There are plenty of bills for recent service and maintenance work including one for a service at Graham Walker Ltd in September 2019.

A summary of the BMW’s servicing history is:

• 08.02.2002 and 14,422 miles – Oil service by Heathrow Ltd

• 08.05.2007 and 26,651 miles – Inspection I by HR Owen

• 16.04.2016 and 31,182 miles – Oil service by Chandlers Hailsham

• 26.09.2017 and unknown miles – Thermostat and oil service by Graham Walker Ltd

• 01.02.2018 and 34,647 miles – Inspection I and oil service by Graham Walker Ltd

• 20.09.2019 and 42,703 miles – Inspection II and oil service by Graham Walker Ltd

A new battery was fitted in June 2019.

The engine bay is very clean and neat, and the underside is straight, strong and free of problems; certainly, no MOT tester has ever seen anything under there to vex them.

We’ve driven it and can confirm that it starts readily, quickly settles into a steady tickover, and drives extremely well. On our brief drive appraisal, there were no noticeable knocks, creaks, squeals or rattles.

The BMW’s MOT certificate expires in January 2021 and it was gained without a single advisory. In fact, it’s never had an advisory for anything other than tyres and brake discs in its life.

It comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, book pack and wallet, plus the original letter confirming its purchase.

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 very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

However, if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

Everyone loves a Euro-barge - and when it’s a full-blown executive-spec 7-Series in one of the best colour schemes we’ve ever seen, we know it’s going to attract an awful lot of interest.

And then, when you start to dig a little, it just gets better and better. Low miles, a good service history, and an absence of the sort of rust, neglect and broken toys that are so common on old 7-Series mean that this beautifully maintained, time-warp E38 isn’t going to be cheap.

Well, it won’t be cheap by E38 standards but because they’re still largely unappreciated, even this wonderful example will probably only sell for something like £9,000 - £12,000. That’s not a reflection of its condition mind, just recognition of the fact we think they’ve yet to reach their full potential.

It’s also being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid no matter how insulting that is.

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’.

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