1997 BMW 840Ci Auto

Finished in the unusual shade of ‘Barbados Green’ this BMW 840Ci Sport was first registered in the UK on 2.10.97.

The current vendor, who has only had the car for a month or so and is selling because of an unforseen change in circumstances, is only the car’s 4th owner.

When the vendor bought the car, the sales listing described it as being in very good condition and went on to point out the amount of money that had recently been spent on a comprehensive suspension overhaul, new discs and pads all-round, two new Michelin Pilot Sport front tyres, and two new batteries - to name just a few headline items.

We concur with all of that and can attest to its excellent mechanical order and ability to deploy its 4.4-litre V8 M62 TU engine to very smooth, powerful and impressive effect.

It drives very well and the absence of creaks, rattles, groans and squeaks is a testament to the rightly lauded build quality of these Teutonic design and engineering masterpieces.

It has also had its headlining retrimmed in black Alcantara, its nose cone freshly repainted, and comes equipped with a retro-look Blaupunkt stereo with modern Bluetooth and DAB capability.

Today the car has covered 143,100 miles.

On the occasion of its 2020 MoT it had covered 141,630 and, 11 years earlier in 2009, the figure stood at 129,287 miles.

Clearly, the car was mainly doing nothing whatsoever for the best part of a decade, which probably explains the gap in the otherwise fully stamped service book and supports our understanding that the car was under SORN conditions for quite some time.

The bodywork is in very impressive condition, overall, and there are no dinks, dents, creases or folds of any consequence anywhere.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are beyond reproach and the doors close home with satisfyingly Germanic weight and exactitude.

The ‘Throwing Star’ wheels have held up very well and appear to be pretty much unacquainted with kerbs or other parking hazards.

There are some scuffs and signs of a previous repair around the base of the n/s/f wheel arch and a tiny, pin-point indentation on the bonnet just above the offside headlamp cover.

There is a little spot of bubbling just above the windscreen and one or two further outbreaks on the sunroof.

There is a chip on the offside of the windscreen, but it is outside the driver’s direct line of view.

The rear screen appears to be delaminating in a couple of areas.

We also found a few scuffs on the o/s/r wing and some paint chips and scuffs on top of the sill beneath the driver’s door.

Aside from that, the car has rather few stone chips or evidence of road rash than you might reasonably expect to find on a car of this age and mileage.

The car’s lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings all seem decent.

In short, it’s all really rather good.

If anything, the interior is even more impressive than its exterior counterpart and it is remarkably free from any unwanted evidence of either its age or use.

The black leather upholstery is in excellent condition, front and back, and aside from some very light wear to a driver’s seat bolster, they’ve yet to earn themselves any real creases, let alone ingrained patina.

The carpets and mats are fine.

So, too, is the recently retrimmed headlining.

The door cards are following the same script.

The steering wheel, gear selector and dashboard all look solid, sound and untroubled by the passage of time.

The rear part of the plastic cover for the seat belt housing on the shoulder of the passenger seat has come loose and needs re-attaching.

There are a few spots where something has been spilled on the shoulder of the rear seat on the nearside.

We’re pretty sure these would yield if threatened with a damp cloth.

The glove compartment still contains its rechargeable torch.

We didn’t press every button, flick every switch or pull every toggle, but everything we did manage to press, flick and pull worked as intended.

The boot is in good condition.

Inside, you’ll find a new windscreen fixing mount for the rear-view mirror. You’ll also see that the CD changer needs re-affixing after it was removed to allow the installation of a replacement battery.

The engine and engine bay are clean and dry. Everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car seem to have plenty of structural integrity, and we’ve seen nothing to make think otherwise.

The service book has main dealer and specialist stamps all the way through to 2009, when the car did nothing much for the next decade, and the stamp trail picks up again in 2020.

It was last serviced on 3.8.23.

There are bills, receipts and invoices covering other maintenance and repairs.

The car comes with its original handbooks and manuals and a recent, clear, HPI report.

The car’s MoT is valid until 2.8.24.

As far as we can tell, this timelessly stylish autobahn-stormer is in thoroughly decent mechanical condition and has the interior and exterior aesthetics to match.

It’s had a significant amount of money spent on it very recently and is a thoroughly impressive example of both the model and the marque.

We’re confident to offer this fine example for auction with an estimate of £8,000 - £12,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.