1995 BMW 520i E34 – Auction Car of the Week

A good heart, sang Feargal Sharkey, is hard to find. Old Fergie however, has clearly never tried to find a good BMW E34 5 Series. By comparison, hearts of appealing virtue are ten a penny. Of course, it would have been easier to find a good one back in the heyday of the song, but today, in 2022, a good BMW E34 is near mythical in its rarity. Like all large, executive cars, the E34 was subject to a massive drop in value, particularly in 1996 when the E39 came along to replace it. The E34 bobbed around in the bargain basement waters for a while, usually being bought by people who wanted a bit of champagne, but only had lemonade. A BMW, old or new, is still a BMW. And a used E34 still cost money to maintain. As such, many went the way of the crusher, those that survived were more often than not modified into oblivion, while the rest were usually halo M5 or 540i models. Trim levels that have always been spendy. The ‘normal’ 2.0 cars are all but gone.

Rather wonderfully though, this week’s auction car of choice is exactly that – a 1995 BMW 520i. And it is quite possibly the finest one that exists today. Finished in deep, perfect Boston Green, sitting on a snazzy set of alloys and furnished with acres of silver leather, this Bavarian beauty has covered a mere 57k over the course of its gentle life. It’s never been modified, it’s never been thrashed, it has simply been enjoyed and cared for without question. This is, make no mistake, an incredible find. And due to the unrepeatable nature of its condition, it’s one that is sure to only increase in value.

It’s only had one owner, and as such, the history file has been kept in full. There are twenty-seven years of invoices, of MOTs and of receipts. And that’s a full main dealer service history at that. When it was ordered, that one owner ticked a few boxes on the options list, so it has air-conditioning, that aforementioned metallic paint, fitted mats and – perfect for your Feargal Sharkey tunes – a tape deck. All original, all present and correct. The light silver leather trim is pretty much flawless, and looks as sumptuous and inviting as it would have done back in 1995. Everything works, nothing has been abused, nothing is worn or tired. Delicious.

Under the forward-hinged bonnet, you’ll find a straight-six smoother than Barry White in silk pyjamas. Yes, bores on forums will tell you that two litres aren’t enough for the E34, but ignore them. If you want speed, you buy an M5. If you want an effortless cruiser that can still happily mix in with modern traffic, the 2.0 is just fine and dandy, especially when combined with that slick automatic transmission. And let’s not forget these cars regularly crack 200,000 miles. This one, with 57k on the clock is far closer to box fresh than box of bits.

If you want a modern classic that can still turn heads, and that still boasts impressive usability, this is the car. Admittedly, it would be somewhat criminal to press it into daily duties, but that’s for the buyer to decide. Whether you choose to keep it hidden away, only to roll it out for the shows and the nice weather, or if you want to put a few more numbers on the digital odometer, you won’t be disappointed. This is a remarkable find, and one that slots neatly into the market’s current appetite for once ubiquitous, now absent models. There is going to be a fight for this car, but glove up and get in the ring, because it’s worth it. They don’t make them like this anymore.

If you missed out on this gem, all is not lost. There’ still a chance to find a great BMW 520i for sale.