News

1997 BMW 740i with 0.3kms is a literal time-capsule!

This bubbled Bavarian brings new meaning to the term ‘showroom condition’

The term ‘time-capsule’ is thrown around a lot these days, but we’re not sure it’s ever been more apt than this 1997 BMW E38 740i currently for sale in Poland.

It’s currently cocooned in a plastic bubble and has lied dormant for the past few decades; coming to market with just 0.3kms on the odometer! It’s literally brand new.

READ NEXT: BMW 5/6/7/8 Series 1980-2008 – Market Review 2019

The car is listed on eBay Germany, and 62 bids have been posted already with the current high-bid at EUR€55,600. That’s AU$103,084 with over five days remaining on the auction.

Time-capsule-7-series-exterior.jpg

The 7-series was traditionally BMW’s flagship luxury saloon, rivalling the S-class in terms of comfort, technology and price.

On Aussie soil back in 1997, the 4.4lt V8 740iL (Australia only got the long-wheelbase body) would’ve set buyers back a whopping $200,500. The range topped out with the larger 5.4lt 750iL, which blew out to an eye-watering $263,000.

Time-capsule-7-series-engine.jpg

The E38 7-Series was the first car available with curtain airbags, the first European car to offer in-built satellite navigation and the first BMW to include in in-built television.

The perfectly preserved 740i is virtually exactly as you would have driven it out of the dealership back in the late 90s, with only minor exhaust oxidisation giving clue to any aging or degradation at all.

Screen Shot 2020-03-26 at 12.51.24 pm.png

All paint, finishes and surfaces look new – with not a crease on BMW’s notoriously wear-prone leather seats. 

We imagine the car’s mechanicals would need some going-over to ensure it’s in healthy driving condition, but we’d be surprised if its new owner ever moves the car under its own power.

It’s an unrepeatable opportunity that will likely be snapped up by another collector, or perhaps a museum.

If it was up to us – we’d love nothing more than to turn over the that sonorous 32-vavle, DOHC 4.4lt V8 and waft along in complete comfort, with the TV on in the background… of course.

 

Classic Australian Family Car Value Guide home page

Muscle Car Value Guide home page

Japanese Classic Car Value Guide home page

Recent auction results

 

Previous ArticleNext Article
Send this to a friend