One to Buy: Lachs Silver 1985 BMW E28 M5
Although various four-door super saloons had come and gone during the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, they had mostly been heavy, dynamically compromised machines better suited to motorways and autoroutes than twisting country roads and mountain passes.
That changed when, from late 1979, BMW began to offer their mid-range 5-series in a package with supercar-rivalling performance: the E12-based M535i. BMW Motorsport had quietly been building uprated 5-series since 1974, but the M535i marked a turning point in that it was openly offered at every European BMW main dealer.
For the 1982 model year, the ageing E12 5-series was replaced by the new E28 variant and, in late 1984, BMW Motorsport began production of the highly anticipated new M5. With its 282bhp straight six, tuned chassis and discrete appearance, the M5 was like nothing else available direct from a mainstream European manufacturer.
Set to go under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Munich auction on November 25th is a highly original early E28 M5.
Completed on July 3rd 1985 and supplied to its first owner by BMW Niederlassung Hamburg on September 10th, it was configured in the highly desirable shade of Lachs Silver Metallic and with the expensive full leather upholstery option plus electric front windows, an electric sunroof, central locking and an electric antenna.
Today, this handsome machine has covered a whisker under 146,000km (backed by its original book pack) and rides on a set of lovely 16-inch Alpina wheels. It is expected to realise somewhere between €70,000 and €100,000.
Reprinted below is RM Sotheby’s description:
Estimate: €70,000 - €100,000
VIN: WBSDC910601018159
BMW’s M-powered 5 Series saloon; an E28 example representing the first generation of the legendary M5 model range
Finished in Lachssilber Metallic paint over a black Buffalo Leather interior
First supplied through a BMW dealer in Hamburg, Germany
Presents in largely original condition without sign of modification
Offered for sale with factory-supplied toolkit and complete set of BMW manuals
At the time of its launch, when revealed at the 1985 Amsterdam International Motor Show, the E28-generation BMW M5 was the fastest production saloon in the world.
While sharing the chassis of the common-or-garden 5 Series, the M5 was graced with the same 24-valve inline six-cylinder engine first installed in the iconic M1, offering a mighty 282 horsepower from a 3.5-litre displacement. Moving away from standard factory assembly, the M5 was hand-built by BMW Motorsport technicians, making for a truly special car.
The example offered here was completed on 3 July 1985, finished in timeless Lachssilber Metallic paint. In its accompanying service book, the M5 is noted to have been supplied to its first owner by BMW Niederlassung Hamburg on 10 September of the same year.
The car was well configured from new with options including electric front windows, power-operated sunroof, central locking, and an electric antenna. The factory-supplied sports seats are clothed in top-of-the-range black Buffalo Leather and the car now rides on genuine and period-correct 16-inch Alpina alloy wheels.
Offered for sale with its complete factory toolkit and set of BMW manuals, including a stamped service book and the M5 Zusatzbetriebsanleitung (Additional Owner’s Manual), the M5 presents in largely original condition without sign of modification. The odometer reads 145,993 kilometres at the time of cataloguing.
Coveted by enthusiasts since the 1980s, the E28-generation M5 is as exciting to drive and own now as it was when it first burst onto the scene.
