One of the rarest M-cars ever spotted for sale with AU$200k pricetag

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 15.10.2020

One of just two Santorini Blue E34 M5 super wagons ever built, and you’ll have to pass an interview to buy it

The BMW E34-generation M5 Touring wagon is one of the rarest models from what enthusiasts believe to be golden era for BMW’s M-division.

This eye-catching wagon is amongst the rarest of the rare, and has been spotted for sale at one of the USA’s most respected classic BMW restorers and dealers, Enthusiast Auto Group in Ohio - wearing a sizeable US$149,990 pricetag.

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So how does a mid-90s European station wagon come to command the equivalent of AU$210,000?

Well for BMW M fans, the E34 M5 is widely regarded as the last truly hand-built M-car, hand-assembled over two weeks in Garching, completely indepdently of the mass-production 5-series in Dingolfing. It was also the last M car to feature the brand’s lauded S38 inline-six close -relative of the iconic M88 which was originally developed for the M1 supercar.

This particular example was built in the final year of E34 M5 production, meaning it’s fitted with a six-speed Getrag manual transmission (instead of a five-speed), and gains four-piston front brakes. Incredibly, it represents just one of two examples finished in Santorini Blue out of a total of 891-M5 Tourings produced over the seven-year lifecycle.

The car was originally produced and delivered to the German market, and was imported to the USA in 2000 by its second owner.

It was later acquired by EAG in 2006, who promptly treated the car to an engine-out service as well as a few choice upgrades including 280-profile camshafts, a performance chip, 3:64 limited-slip differential and an upgraded exhaust. To date, the car has covered just 96,000 careful miles and presents today as a turn-key, need-nothing example one of BMW’s most collectible contemporaries.

More than simple company inventory, the super-rare super wagon was actually the personal car of EAG owner Eric Keller, who purchased the E34 M5 Touring as a 25^th birthday gift to himself and has lovingly owned it for the fourteen years since.

According to BMW Blog, Keller also asserts that he will be performing a "sale by interview" of sorts, to ensure his personal vehicle goes to a suitably loving home.

If you think you can cut mustard, as well as a big enough cheque, you can view the car for sale at enthusiastauto.com

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