• Well maintained

• Lovely interior

• Ready to be enjoyed

The first generation of the 7 series, the E23,  introduced the world to many of the features that would become commonplace across the rest of the range: anti lock brakes, an onboard computer and check control (to show any faults) to name but a few. It was a large luxury saloon but also available in a relatively spartan spec as we see here with cloth seats, a manual gearbox and wind-down windows. 

This example, a 732i, mates a creamy 3.2 litre BMW straight six to a 5 speed gearbox and, while possibly a little upmarket for the Festival of the Unexceptional, it is a real survivor car that has clearly been pampered and deserves to be preserved.

 If you’re a fan of the marque, then its distinctive shark-nose design, well preserved interior and driver-focused spec will surely be a draw. Left hand drive opens up the possibility of European road trips when that becomes a viable option again, as it surely will, so what are you waiting for? Get your bid in now!

• Originally registered in Germany, but has spent much of its life in Belgium

• A large sheaf of paperwork, largely in Belgian, that shows a great deal of expenditure on maintenance

• LPG conversion

• Acquired by an enthusiast and imported to the UK in 2016

• Now with its second owner in the UK, it has seen little use since

• V5 present in the owner’s name

• Will be sold with a fresh MOT

• All believed to be original

• Unmarked beige cloth upholstery

• Dash in very good condition save for a couple of small cracks

• Radio and air conditioning working

• Was fitted with a phone, now removed leaving two small screw holes

• Very good carpets and pristine headlining

Back in Eighties Germany leather seats weren’t the absolute must have on luxury cars that they seem to be today. In those days the warmer feel of a hard wearing, quality seat cloth was more widely appreciated and, in this car, we can see the benefits. For after almost 150,000 miles the seats, which are believed to be original, look pristine. 

The rest of the interior has proved similarly hard-wearing, with a couple of small cracks in the dashboard by the windscreen being the only sign of age. A telephone installation has been removed leaving a couple of screw holes but otherwise it’s all looking remarkably fresh with a headlining that is clean and secure and the carpets all in good order.

Continuing the slightly spartan theme, there are fewer gadgets present than you’ll find in the modern equivalent so you’ll have to wind the windows up yourself but all of the other dials, buttons and switches function as intended, including the radio. In the boot, there’s obviously some space sacrificed to the LPG tank but it’s otherwise all clean and tidy and the toolkit on the boot lid is all present and correct. Overall, it’s in great condition inside.

• Again, all believed to be original

• Very good condition for age

• A few small rust bubbles on the front wing but none evident around the arches

• A few areas of missing lacquer and some hairline scratches

• Small amount of pitting to front bumper chrome, but otherwise all looking good

For some time now, BMW has attracted a great deal of flak for its design direction. And while the passage of time has seen some of its more controversial models age quite gracefully, you only have to look back to its earlier catalogue to see why the comparisons aren’t always flattering.

There’s arguably an elegance and simplicity in a car like the shark-nosed E23 7 series that’s gone missing over time. For our money, it still looks fabulous today, particularly in this shade of metallic green.

The paintwork is described by the seller as very good, although there are a few blemishes as noted above. The wheels benefit from higher profile tyres and so don’t seem to have been in contact with any kerbs although the BMW badges in the centres have aged somewhat. The tyres, however, are in good shape with plenty of tread remaining. In general it’s very smart with some scope for a little light fettling.

• Engine bay unmolested

•  LPG conversion

• Starts, stops and steers just as it should

• No untoward noises

• Lovely straight six rasp from the exhaust

The engine fires first time and delivers a suitably rich growl from the twin exit exhaust. The 3.2 litre straight six was mid-ranking in the contemporary range hierarchy but the seller reports that it still delivers sufficient shove to keep up with modern traffic and the manual gearbox means that it can be hustled along with smooth changes and a positive clutch. The car pulls up well and in a straight line and there are no untoward noises on the road. In short, it’s ready to go.

A rare survivor car that will be cherished by any BMW fan despite, or perhaps because of, a specification that focuses on the essentials.