Highlights

• Recent compression test – good results
• Lots of paperwork present
• A rarity on the roads today
• Lovely leather interior 
• Capable cruiser

The Appeal

The History and Paperwork

• First hitting the UK roads in July 1997, this car has gone on some travels since
• There is a fair amount of written history with this car that you can flick through when you collect the car
• It is filled with old MOT certificates, invoices dating to the early 2000s, and the all-important V5
• Under the current ownership, the current work has been carried out
• Change engine oil and filter, change plugs, and fit two new Alpina badges.
• Remove all Bowden cables and fix the locks for the bonnet release catch.
• Adjust the headlamps, fit a brake calliper, and bleed due to MOT notification.
• Fit ABS pump reconditioned, fix a kink in the brake line.
• Polish headlamps.
• Remove all breather hoses and clean
• Replace the air induction diaphragm.
• Finally, a compression test was carried out on all 8 cylinders returning an average of 175 psi with cylinder 8 at 156 psi
• These results for a 20-year-old car with a few miles on the clock are very good indeed
• It is now your chance to get behind the wheel of this 

The Interior

• Fitted with a lovely dark green leather interior 
• The leather on all seats is presented very well indeed
• For a car with this many miles, you’d expect a bit more wear inside, but this is breaking that stigma of high-mileage cars
• It was noted that the driver’s seat does have some issues with the electrics, but this shouldn’t be too difficult to fix
• The dashboard is very clean with little to no obvious damage
• To complement the green leather dark walnut-like veneer has been fitted throughout 
• The condition of the wood is good, you may find a few small marks, but it doesn’t appear that it needs to be replaced 
• Under one of the wood panels is the BMW Business cassette player, remember those?
• Even Alpina carpets are in the footwells
• Upon start up there is a message that refers to the parking lights, but this soon clears to leave a dash free of warning lights
• On the steering wheel, there are a lot of controls
• There are the usual cruise control, volume controls, and menu buttons
• But there are also controls for the ‘Switch-Tronic’ gearbox 
• Above, the headliner looks to be in good condition as well
• In the boot, you’ll find a well-equipped tool kit, spare wheel, and even a first aid kit
• The boot should be large enough for almost any adventure, just measure before you take it to Ikea though 
• You will also find a Sony CD multichanger in the boot as well
• Sticking with the boot there are some slight signs of use, like one of the rubber straps has come loose, but once again, for a car of its mileage it is excellent 
• Getting into this cabin you would struggle to believe the odometer, it has been preserved very well for you to enjoy.

The Exterior 

• Finished in Glacier Green, or glaciergrun, metallic paint 
• Some of the Alpina badges have been replaced
• The iconic Alpina alloys have had new locks fitted to the center caps
• There are a few marks across the alloys, but there are more than enough mobile alloy wheel technicians
• The headlights have just been polished so the lenses are nice and clear again
• Alpina front lip spoiler fitted
• On the whole, the paint is in good condition
• There is a slight area of lacquer loss on the roof just above the driver 
• There are a few bumps and bruises around the extremities, but these may come out with smart repairs
• You may also see some slight bubbling around the nearside wheel arches, but this is fairly common for a BMW/Alpina product of this age
• If you like ‘sleeper cars’, then this will be the car for you 
• It may look like a normal 5 series, but underestimate it at your own peril 
• With a little bit of work then this will come out as a stunning example
• This B10 will look great sitting in your collection

The Mechanics 

• This is no normal BMW 5 series, it has been breathed on by tuning company Alpina
• Under the bonnet, you’ll find a big V8
• Turning over and firing into life sounds excellent
• During the photoshoot, it had to move on a few occasions, and it did this with ease every time
• It also drove to and from the location without trouble
• It has had a bit of re-commissioning done to get it to this mechanical standard
• The automatic gearbox selected drive and reverse with a positive action 
• This is a fine example of high mileage hero 
• With its recent compression test, you should be able to see that everything should be healthy inside the engine 
• The service book does have quite a few stamps, with a service just being completed 

Summary