Lot 178 - 1991 BMW 850i

Design of the 8 Series began in 1984 with the final design phase and production development in 1986. It debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in early September 1989 and was designed to move beyond the market of the original 6 Series. The 8 Series however had substantially improved performance as well as a far higher purchase price. Over 1.5 billion Deutsche Marks were spent on development; BMW used CAD tools, still unusual at the time, to design the car's all-new body. Combined with wind tunnel testing, the resulting car had a drag coefficient of 0.29 and offered the first V12 engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox on a road car. It was also one of the first vehicles to be fitted with an electronic drive-by-wire throttle.

Originally supplied by the BMW main dealer on the 22 August 1991 this BMW 850i has been in a stable full of BMW’s that our vendor has collected over the past decade, interestingly all in the same colour. Presented in maroon with fawn leather this example has just four former keepers. Upgraded cosmetically to a CSi specification it boasts the CSi wing mirrors, front spoiler and exhaust system. Owned by our vendor since 2013 the car has remained garaged and cared for. The paintwork is in very good order and inside displays the original plush extras that these executive coupés were lavished with. Supplied with an MoT test certificate valid until March 2023 these BMW 8 series, especially with the V12 engine, are becoming a more appreciated modern classic and this example is no exception. What better way to enjoy driving than in this pillarless coupé.

Interested parties should note that the wheels photographed in our catalogue are not the wheels sold with the vehicle, the original 850 wheels are now on the car.