Vehicle Description
Chassis No. WBAEG11090CB13160
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE
Debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1989, the 'E31' 8
Series was the most ambitious and technologically advanced road car
produced by BMW since the homologated version of the M1 Group-5
race car. Underneath its sleek, two-door coupe body was an
impressively complex package featuring an industry-first electronic
drive-by-wire throttle, a multi-link rear axle, and in the
twelve-cylinder 850i, a V12 power plant closely related to that of
the mighty McLaren F1. Needless to say, BMW also equipped the new 8
Series with all the modern luxuries befitting a flagship grand
tourer: dual-zone climate control, sunroof, full leather seats with
electric adjustment, cruise control and a CD multi-changer. Sales
in North America were truncated by the global recession of the
early 1990s, making the E31 8 Series a very rare breed - rarest of
all the 850i when optioned with a third pedal.
This pristine, six-speed manual BMW 850i is undoubtedly one of the
very best offered for sale in recent memory, showing a mere 1,927
kilometers on the odometer from new. Finished in understated
Granitsilber Metallic over Black leather, the BMW was registered to
its first owner in Italy on 30 May 1991. Records show that the car
received its first service at Verona Motors s.r.l. on 19 May 1995
at an indicated 1,445 kilometers. Clearly an object of admiration
rather than a mode of transportation, the 850i didn't resurface for
another service until it visited S.C. Automobile Bavaria,
Bucharest, Romania on 6 February 2015, having covered only 314
kilometers in almost 20 years. In 2016, the car entered into the
prestigious Illinois-based collection of its second and current
owner, where its careful preservation has continued.
Today, it is difficult to find signs of its 30-plus years on the
planet. The flawless Granitsilber paintwork retains its lovely
shine and depth, while the ultrasoft leather and sumptuous carpets
still look and feel fresh. Elsewhere, the engine and engine bay
appear as they did on the factory floor and the trunk still carries
its brand new factory spare. Given its exquisite originality and
low mileage, this rare grand tourer - one of approximately 1000
equipped with a manual transmission - is surely one of the most
intact examples of BMW's most advanced production car of its
day.
