Highlights

Burbling 278bhp 4.4litre V8 as used in the E39 M5
Low mileage car that looks presentable and structurally solid
Attractive Ascot Green metallic bodywork with cream leather interior
Requires recommissioning - last run in 2018 for MOT test
Private number plate included in sale
Low mileage car that has covered few miles since 2008

The Appeal

BMW’s V8-engined 740 offered high powered executives a distinctly Bavarian Motor Works approach to the thorny business of getting from business lunch A to business lunch B. Where its competitors erred on the side of comfort and luxury, BMW matched those attributes but dialled in a much more sporting and engaging driving experience.

This low mileage 1997 740 has spent most of the last 14 years off the road but remains in remarkable condition, testament to the factory’s rigorous build quality standards. It was last run in 2018 for a MOT, which it failed on relatively straightforward issues. With values of the desirable V8 E38 rising, this looks like an opportunity for a mechanically minded buyer to acquire a nicely specified example with scope for investment.

The History And Paperwork

First registered 24th April 1997
Built by BMW in February 1997
Service book has seven stamps, most recently on 24th July 2006 at 77,835 miles
Believed to be on 84,000 miles now but unable to verify due to flat battery
Factory handbook
V5 in Seller’s name and has owned the car since 2004
Last MOT in May 2018 which the car failed on tyres, brake discs, anti roll bar dust cover, suspension arm dust cover and brake imbalance
Aside from 2018 MOT the car appears to have been off the road since 2008 when it had covered 82,817 miles

The Interior

Attractive cream leather interior in good condition
Central dash screen for phone and audio
Boot-mounted CD multichanger
BMW car phone with BMW handset
Factory first aid kit complete and unused
Good headlining and carpets

The cream interior of this BMW neatly complements the light green metallic paintwork and by 1997 standards would have been a sumptuous, comfortable and well specified place to be.

The interior has held up well despite the very limited use over the last 15 years, just limited intrusion of damp and mould covering some areas of the carpets and the edges of the rooflining. Otherwise these parts are in good condition but would benefit from a clean.

The leather seats are in good, unmarked condition, the driver’s seat inevitably showing creases of age and discolouration but there is no significant wear on the bolsters or base. One of the electric switches on this seat is missing.

The sill trim on the driver’s door is also missing.

The dashboard is in good condition although the plastic surround for the central screen has badly discoloured. The passenger side airbag cover is warped and there are marks around the heating and ventilation switches.

Elsewhere the veneer on the centre console is cracked and the veneer on the gear selector is delamination.

The BMW car phone kit is complete with the handset and an interesting period piece. There is an unused factory first aid kit, complete tool kit, boot mounted CD multi changer and an original factory full size spare wheel with alloy.

The Exterior

Good condition Ascot Green metallic paintwork
Sunroof model
Original 15inch BMW lattice alloy wheels in good condition
Very solid bodywork with no visible corrosion and only very slight marks around the car

1990s motorists seemed to love metallic green cars and the original buyer of this 740 was no exception. It appears to be finished in popular Ascot Green metallic, a colour that suits the sober-suited style of the 7-Series well and complements the beige interior.

The paintwork is in good condition considering that the car has been largely unused since 2008 but it would benefit from a clean. There appears to be polish applied in some of the photographs so it was not possible to accurately assess every panel.

There is no visible corrosion and the marks around the car are very minor. On the front of the car the rubber spoiler is cracked and has been scuffed on a kerb and the body colour bumper-top trim is discolouring.

The nearside edge of the bonnet has poor paint and the bonnet badge is deteriorated. There are a handful of stone chips on the bonnet. The towing eye cover is missing on the bumper and the front number plate is delaminating.

The offside of the car is in good condition save for a mark on the sill below the driver’s door and a scratch on the rear wheelarch.

Moving to the rear of the car there is a slight scuff on the bumper, the offside rear light is cracked and there is a scuff on the rubber trim below this light. The rear number plate is also delaminating.

On the nearside there is a scuff on the front wheel arch and the trim on the passenger door is coming away – this affects the side rubbing strip and the plastic trim at the base of the door.

The roof is in good condition but would also benefit from a polish. There are marks on the rear edge – likely algae or dirt – and a chip on the sunroof panel.

The factory 15inch alloy wheels are in good condition, albeit with some inevitable flaking, and are fitted with elderly Continental tyres, one of which is deflated.

The photographs indicate that it is structurally solid and the last MOT, admittedly 5 years ago, contained no structural advisories.

The Mechanics

4398cc M62 V8 engine generating 278bhp
5spd automatic gearbox
Rear wheel drive
Service booked with 7 stamps to 2006
MOT fail in 2018 on relatively simple fixes

The M62 engine at the heart of this 740 was one of the firm’s best, providing the basis of the superlative E39 M5 super saloon. In this 7-Series it is good for nearly 280bhp, with power delivered via a 5spd automatic gearbox to the rear wheels.

There is a factory handbook and service book with the car which shows 7 stamps, most recently in 2006 at just under 78,000 miles. The car appears to have been off the road for most of the time from 2008. It was MOT’d in May 2018 at 84,000 miles. It failed this test on brake discs, two dust covers for suspension components and a tyres. These seem relatively simple fixes and it is encouraging that there were no structural advisories. The battery is flat so we were unable to verify the mileage but it seems reasonable to assume it remains close to the 2018 test figure.

Summary

The E38 740 demonstrated the very best of the 7-Series attributes, combining sumptuous luxury with very quick cross-country motoring. It is one of the best-loved of BMW’s many revered products.

This low mileage 740 sports an attractive colour combination and is in remarkable condition considering it has been off the road for most of the last 15 years. Its 2018 MOT supports the impression that it is structurally solid. Bringing this stylish car back to life seems like an interesting project with a lovely, burbling V8-engined E38 to enjoy at the end.

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