1996 BMW 840Ci

But here’s the headline news.

This BMW 840Ci still looks pretty much as fresh as the day it left the Dingolfing plant in Lower Bavaria in 1996.

For context, we’ve been fortunate enough to see quite a few 8 Series cars over the years.

And we honestly don’t think we’ve ever seen a better one than this.

It must have a painting of a decrepit version of itself gathering dust in an attic somewhere.

This magnificent über-coupé is minty-fresh, squeaky-clean and, to all intents and purposes, as good as new in most meaningful respects.

That’s quite an achievement – and this car is a stellar exemplar of both the marque and the model.

The vendor has had the car for a brief period of time (during which he has had the car serviced), but the car was previously in the same family ownership for at least 20 years.

Used sparingly but regularly, it was always kept in a dry heated garage and, as you can clearly see, it enjoyed a very pampered, cosseted life.

In nearly 30 years, this car has put just 31,000 miles on the odometer.

We’ve got pairs of socks that have covered more ground in the same time.

You will look in vain for any dinks, dents, dimples or creases of consequence on this car.

The bodywork and finish are really very good indeed and any faults or flaws are in reassuringly short supply, with even entirely standard scuffs, scratches and stone chips being far more notable for their absence than their presence.

The general pristine-ness of the car is well served - and highlighted - by the ultra-rare colour combination of an Alpine White II exterior and Lotus White interior.

There’s nowhere for any bad news to hide.

The paintwork has an impressive depth of gloss and shine wherever you cast your gaze.

The split-rim alloys are untroubled by any encounters with kerbs or other roadside obstacles, and the tyres - Goodyear Eagle F1 at the front, Bridgestone Potenza at the rear - look as if they’ve got plenty of life left in them but are rather long in the tooth and showing signs of perishing in places.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in first-class condition.

Finding fault with this car definitely falls into the category of nit-picking but, that’s what we do, so here goes.

One of the headlamp washers is slightly askew; there’s a small mark on the driver’s door; and a section of black tape in a recess at the base of the rear bumper has broken up and is revealing the paint beneath.

That’s pretty much it. Everything else is just fine and dandy.

The condition of the interior is nothing short of a revelation.

It is original, unmolested, authentic and far more a reflection of the car’s very low mileage than its age. 

Aside from the lightest of creases on the outer bolster of the driver’s seat backrest, there’s nothing to indicate that anyone’s actually sat in the front seats of this car for more than about half an hour. 

The individually shaped and sculpted rear seats look as if they’ve had even less use.

The quality of the materials and workmanship is apparent wherever you look in the interior. 

This car was meant to be a bold statement of BMW’s capability and the message was aimed squarely at their prestigious rivals in Sindelfingen, Zuffenhausen, Browns Lane and Ingolstadt.

The message is loud, clear and unmissable inside this car.

Things that normally fade, like the black plastics on and around the dashboard, have stoically resisted any temptation to do so.

Things that often crack and peel, like the wood veneers and lacquer on around the centre console and the door card inserts, have mostly repelled the march of time with casual disdain.

Even the first-aid kit inside the rear centre armrest is present and intact.

The door cards are excellent, as are the carpets and mats.

The sun-roof works as intended but the otherwise fine headlining is currently catching on the edge of the sunroof and being dragged out of shape as it moves. Not a difficult fix, we suspect.

The wrap-around instrument cluster, binnacle and centre console, which do a lot of the heavy lifting in making the car’s driving position so good, are free of any cracks, splits, fades or other aberrations of note.

The LED display on the onboard computer/info unit has fared rather less well and some of the pixels have gone rogue and decided to stop working properly. 

We’re reliably informed by people who know about such things that there are firms out there who will recondition the unit and rectify for the fault for not much money at all.

As far as we and the vendor are aware, every knob, button, lever, dial, switch, instrument and gauge responds faithfully to inputs in a timely and accurate fashion. 

The boot, which contains a CD changer and a full-sized spare wheel to match the others, is in irreproachable condition.

Does it still have a complete, original BMW toolkit under the boot lid?

Of course it does.

The engine bay is a thing of beauty in itself.

Everything inside is spotlessly clean, dry and tidy.

We’d give it 5 stars on a food hygiene survey, never mind a mechanic’s report.  

The undersides of the car are equally clean and straight. We’d hazard a guess that they wouldn’t recognise snow, mud, slush or road salt if you showed them photographs.

Nothing we’ve seen has given us any reason whatsoever to tut, frown or otherwise question the car’s structural integrity, honesty or character. 

The car’s service book is fair bristling with stamps, with a good mix of main dealers and marque specialists.

There are a few bills and invoices for other maintenance work carried out, but not many – and that’s because the car has just 31,000 miles on the clock and hasn’t had much of a chance to go wrong or start wearing things out.

The car has recently been serviced and it had a new battery fitted in August 2025.

It comes with its original books, full sets of keys, a recent HPI report and an MoT certificate that’s valid until 5th February 2026.

These were seriously impressive cars back in the day and can still hold their own with most things on the road in terms of performance, quality and refinement even now. 

This particular car has averaged roughly 1000 miles per year throughout its life.

It has been spoiled rotten by its owners and is in absolutely time-warp condition.

If you’re holding out in the hope of a better one coming along, prepare yourself for a very long wait.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £15,000 - £20,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Wokingham, Berkshire. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.