1998 BMW 840

Bought two years ago from 4 Star Classics with the odometer showing just 70,000 miles, the current owner has enjoyed the car since then, adding 24,000 trouble-free miles to it.

Now for sale due to an imminent move to the ‘States, this is a rare chance for someone to pick up what must be one of the most under-valued modern classics left.

This 840’s dark metallic green is a perfect example of how the big BMW coupe suits a sober, discreet colour. Of course, we all love a bit of bling too, and bling doesn’t come any classier than a full set of perfect, deep-dish alloy wheels shod with good quality low-profile rubber. 

The panels are straight and dent and ripple-free and the only rust on the car – and we do mean the only rust – is a tiny rust bubble on the sunroof.

The interior is in fine fettle, although the leather is starting to show signs of gentle patination. The front leather seats have been re-coloured, which has helped restore them. 

All the electrics work although there is an intermittent airbag light, which might be linked to the electric seats. It’s probably not a big deal and might not even be showing when the winning bidder collects it, but we won’t hide anything from you, which is why we mention it.

The 4.4-litre V8 engines was the first production car to feature a drive-by-wire throttle, which gives you an idea of how high-tech the 8 Series was.

The good news is that all that technology actually produces a very reliable car, even after almost two decades of use, something the current owner can endorse. 

To help things along, he’s changed the oil every 2,000 miles since he’s owned it, which might be overkill but wouldn’t you rather buy a car from a guy like this than some chancer for whom the idea of a full service history is to get his mate to stamp the book for a fiver? The owner has even offered to have an oil service carried out for the new owner before they collect.

The front suspension bushes have been recently replaced but the rear ones will need doing shortly. The rear tyres are getting close to the legal limit too, so you should budget for a new pair if you’re bidding.

The BMW’s online MOT history discloses no surprises and the only failures in ten years were a tyre, poor headlamp aim, low washer fluid and idle emissions… 

It comes with a fresh MOT and is HPI clear. Oh, and it’s still got the original BMW factory toolkit.

The signs are that the 8 Series is on the rise. Of course, that doesn’t automatically make them a good buy; anything this complex could punch a very large hole in your finances if it goes spectacularly wrong, which means you need to buy the right one – and all the signs are that this is one such car.

This makes the price of £9,500 look like spectacularly good value.

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