1999 BMW 540i SE Sport Pack

This BMW E39 540i SE has the 4.4-litre V8, which delivers 286 bhp and 440 Nm of torque through a 5-speed ZF automatic transmission and claims 6.2 seconds to 62 mph (100 km/h).

It was registered on the very first day of 1999 and supplied by Derek Woodman BMW of Blackpool to an emigrant Scotsman just down the road in Lytham St Annes for his wife. The next owner was their son and then the car was bought by a local car body shop owner, who kept it covered and stored in their unit for a few years.

The current owner - our vendor - saw the car stored there but was told it wasn’t for sale. It took a couple of years but eventually he persuaded them to sell it to him in February 2019. So the car has so far spent all its life in the Lytham St Annes area.

Having a handful of other classic and collector cars, he used the BMW for a few shows and a couple of trips down south to Warwickshire. He says it is lovely to drive on the motorway and the big V8 delivered 35 mpg with no bother on these trips.

Moving from a house with a four car garage to one with just a single has meant that he’s been having to store the car at a friend’s house and has barely used it. So in February he had it serviced and sorted by a local BMW specialist and readied for sale.

The exterior of the 540i is painted in BMW Individual’s Velvet Blue Metallic, which is just a little darker than the fabled Estoril Blue but still pops nicely in the sunshine. The overall condition of the paint and bodywork is very good, especially for a 24 year old car, aside from a few age-related marks, light scratches and touched-in stone chips.

Other minor blemishes include the bumper rubber trims starting to crackle, slight lacquer bubbling on the B-pillar roots and the bonnet badge delaminating slightly. However, none of these are unexpected on a car of this age, indeed it is incredibly well presented compared to many of its ilk that we see.

The sports package adds a number of styling features to the exterior of the car, giving it a style closer to the fabled M5 but not quite as aggressive. There are deeper valances front and rear, side skirts, a boot spoiler, shadowline trim (black window surrounds) and the M sport wheels.

The BMW sits on 17-inch, 5-spoke M-sport style alloy wheels which look in very good condition with no scuffs or dings. They were all fitted with Continental PremiumContact tyres in April 2019, since when the car has done around 6,500 miles.

The interior has quite a mix of materials and shades. Upper surfaces like the dash top, pillars and door caps are black to reduce glare and the lower trims are a light grey/blue. In between, there is a strip of polished Vavona burl (redwood) veneer across the door cards, dash fascia, centre console and gear shift. The steering wheel is an M-badged one, part of the previously mentioned sports package.

The seats are upholstered in a cream Nappa leather with dark blue piping. The door card inserts are in a matching leather. As you’d expect on a pale hide, there is a light patina but no apparent damage or undue wear that we could see. The rear seats look barely used.

Up front, the instrument cluster and central infotainment and climate control units look in good order and don’t appear to be suffering from LED segment failures like many BMWs of this era now do. The stereo is a built-in BMW Business radio cassette with a boot-mounted CD changer.

The mid-grey carpets are in generally good order and have overmats front and rear. Unsurprisingly, the driver’s mat is very worn where the heel sits, despite the rubber reinforcement. Up above, the headlining looks clean and intact.

Under the bonnet, the engine bay looks clean and tidy and appears well cared for. Whilst the servicing hasn’t been annual throughout the car’s life, it has been looked after by BMW specialists and serviced at appropriate mileage intervals. More recently, with limited use, it has had garage inspections every year or so.

The undersides seem undamaged and in a largely good condition, with just a few areas of light rust on the subframe structures and more substantial corrosion on the fuel tank strap. The vendor was surprised that this hadn’t been addressed at its recent trip to the garage particularly as a replacement part is about £30 and fits easily with a single bolt. Following this the vendor has ordered new parts to replace both fuel tank straps that will be ready to fit upon sale.

Open the boot and you’ll find the original lid-mounted toolkit intact and looking largely complete. The grey carpet and linings are in reasonable order with just a little pilling on the side walls.What looks to be the original first aid kit sits in a recess behind the rear offside wheel arch and on the other side behind a panel is the CD changer.

Under the floor, the full size spare alloy wheel is fitted with a good condition Continental tyre and the jack is stowed alongside. The spare wheel well is in great condition, with no evidence of water ingress or rust - just a few stray golf tees confirming the stereotype that 5 Series drivers were often successful professionals who play golf!

The BMW has a current MOT valid until June 2023, where it required a new ball joint dust cover. It also noted a small oil leak which appears to have been sorted out at the most recent service back in February.

The car comes with its original book pack including the owner’s handbook, manuals, dealer directory and service booklet, which contains the following entries:

• Jan 1999 - 12 miles PDI - Blackpool BMW
• Jan 2002 - 16,543 - a/a
• Nov 2003 - 28,181 - a/a
• Jan 2007 - 39,927 - a/a
• Jun 2015 - 51,041 - Lewis Motors BMW Specialists, Blackpool
• Jan 2020 - 53,293 - a/a
• Dec 2021 - 56,920 - Lord Street Garage, Lytham St Annes
• Feb 2023 - 58,702 - Motortune BMW Specialists, Blackpool

The history file also includes some old tax discs, past MOT reports and a sheaf of invoices for genuine BMW parts, routine maintenance and any investigation work. Among them is an invoice for oil and filters in April 2019, suggesting that the then owner carried out an oil change service themselves.

Offering a sonorous V8 soundtrack and impressive performance without the hardcore driving characteristics, aggressive styling or ‘M Tax’ of the E39 M5, this Sports Pack-equipped 540i SE presents a strong case for any BMW or modern classic enthusiast.

With a low mileage for its age of around 58,800 - we think this E39 will sell for between £8,000 and £10,000.

Although this would make a great weekend car, it drives so well and so effortlessly that there’s no reason that this couldn’t return to being a comfortable but capable daily for the discerning driver, offering plenty of on-road excitement if required.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.