Vehicle Description
One owner car, beautifully preserved, everything works, recently serviced. Includes original books, manuals, full tool kit, unused spare tire. Nicely preserved future collectable.
Looking at this long, lithe coupe, you can see that there’s nothing extra, nothing installed merely for style’s sake, and a purity of line that reminds us that there was a time when BMW really was the “ultimate driving machine.” This is a one-owner car purchased by a gentleman who understands performance and luxury, and who, interestingly enough, eventually sought to replace his lovely 6-Series with another BMW. Year after year, decade after decade, he went and tried them on for size and found, rather remarkably, that none of the new cars spoke to him the way this lovely coupe did. Its condition today reflects the simple fact that someone believed this was the finest car ever built and eventually realized that he would never be able to replace it.
As a result of all this, it remains in fantastic condition, considering that it’s approaching 30 years old. It wears original Beige Metallic paint (not a terribly interesting name, but it’s lovely in person) that showcases just what you got for what was a substantial chunk of money in 1988. BMW finish quality was exceptional back then, with expert panel fit that looks crisp and a sound to the doors that sounds like well-oiled machinery. The paint certainly shows well for its age, but I’m not going to pretend that the past 30 years haven’t happened and there are a few signs of use. Most notably, the chin spoiler is a little scuffed, and there are one or two nicks on the hood, but for the most part is looks quite good and does not need work to be enjoyed with pride. Things like the rubber bumpers, the window gaskets, and taillight housings are excellent and the blue and white BMW roundel on the nose and tail still stands out like a beacon, perhaps more-so here than on late-model cars.
The handsomely finished tan leather interior is far more luxuriously trimmed than I remember BMW offering in the 1980s. The seats, including the driver’s chair, are in fantastic condition with only light comfort marks and may some wear on the outer bolster, both well in line with the car’s age and mileage. The carpets are excellent, having been protected by BMW-logo mats almost from new, and you’ll feel special when you climb inside, crossing over that lovely bright chrome threshold every time. The driver’s door panel has some damage where it rubs against the seat latch, but otherwise, both door panels are quite good. And perhaps the most remarkable feature is that everything works—everything. The A/C is cold and uses a cool center console set up for back seat passengers, the windows all power up and down, the seats are adjustable in a dozen different directions, and all the gauges are bright, clear, and snap to attention when you turn the key. Even the original radio and power antenna work as they should! Overhead there’s a power sunroof to make the airy coupe feel wide open and the arrangement of the controls again reminds you that grabbing the wheel, moving the shifter, and dancing with the pedals are your primary responsibility when you’re in a BMW. This is a coupe, but it’s a big coupe, designed to cross long distances with ease, so it includes a good-sized trunk for all your luggage and includes a complete original tool kit (with fuses, cloth, and bulbs intact!) as well as the factory-issued spare tire that looks like it’s never been used.
In the 1980s, BMW’s 3.5-liter inline-six really needed no introduction. Turbine-smooth, torquey, yet willing to rev, it was their senior engine until they bucked tradition and started building V8s. In this application, it’s exactly right, starting with an expensive-sounding whirr from the starter motor and settling into a rumbling idle that’s muscular but sophisticated. It’s been properly maintained from the beginning, so it runs superbly and doesn’t have any vices or need any excuses. Turn the key and go, every time. The engine bay is clean, albeit not detailed (this was a daily driver for years, of course) but exhibits conscientious care over the years and lots of recent work to keep it in top condition. It’s linked to a 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission, which makes for a fine dance partner in a grand touring BMW. Shifts are crisp and it never hesitates to drop down a gear to keep the big six spinning in the fat part of its powerband. BMW’s all-independent suspension is tuned for handling as much as comfort, so if you’re expecting a plush, pillowy ride, this isn’t your car. It carries alloy wheels in very good condition and a set of recent 215/60/15 blackwall radials for the perfect look.
Documented with a lot of maintenance receipts, books, manuals, and other factory paperwork, this is a beautifully maintained car that some sources have already named a blue-chip collectable (both Hagerty and Hemmings Motor News have suggested that the 6-Series is a worthy keeper). This is a car that’s been loved its entire life and it shows. It’s not perfect, but it is a car that you can get in and drive as if it were 1988 all over again. Experience what the Ultimate Driving Machine really felt like before computers and SUVs wrecked the whole show.
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
