1998 BMW 840Ci

First registered on the 2nd of January 1998, ‘R102 RPR’ is the 286bhp, 325 ft-lb, 4.4-litre V8-engined version of the ever-popular BMW 8 Series.

Finished in BMW 'Individual' Aqua Metallic with a Champagne-on-black leather interior, the seller bought this BMW 840Ci from us a year ago from a family who’d owned it for the previous 21 years.

He’d always fancied running one, and despite “never keeping cars that long” he’s spent the past 12 months slowly improving it, a regimen that included treating it to a comprehensive service.

His aim was to build on the car’s “good bones”, a lovely description that encompasses the low mileage as well as the previous keeper’s long-term tenure, but a house renovation now forces its sale.

The Aqua Metallic colour, which was taken from BMW ‘Individual’ palette, suits the BMW’s lines very well; as we mentioned in the background, we think the 8 Series has aged gracefully, and a period colour like this serves to remind us that this is a classic car rather than something more recent.

Because it is, let us not forget, more than a quarter-of-a-century old, which means you’d expect it to have the odd battle scar. However, careful and regular refreshing and refurbishment throughout that time means it still presents well with excellent panel alignment, good shutlines, and no serious dents or other damage.

The special-order paintwork still gleams nicely, and the aerodynamic aids are subtle enough to be able to do their thing without ruining the German car’s lithe profile.

Of course, the pop-up headlamps help maintain the BMW’s clean lines. Potential bidders will be pleased to hear that they rise and fall as they should, and does anything scream 1990’s sportscar more loudly than pop-up headlamps?

Other than, maybe, pillarless doors and a huge metal sunroof, design flourishes that might have fallen out of favour but flood the 8 Series’ cabin with light while reinforcing that sleek silhouette.

With Teutonic efficiency, the sunroof still slides fore and aft at the touch of a button, and seals well when it is closed.

Or maybe it’s the relatively miniscule black-and-silver alloy wheels that give the game away? Just 17-inches in diameter, the fact we can type “just” with a straight face tells you all you need to know about some of the behemoths manufacturers like BMW are fitting these days.

The rest of the details stack up too, like bright lamp lenses that are free of cracks and other damage. Good badges too, alongside unsullied glazing, and door mirror caps that are free of scrapes.

Despite the time and money the seller has poured into it, there is still room for improvement. The alloy wheels are scuffed and in need of refurbishment. The tyres are a mixed bag of Toyo, Continental, and Falken too. They’re also getting on a bit now, so perhaps you could budget for a new set of matching rubber in order for you to be able to properly enjoy that sublime chassis?

There’s also a dink on the nearside rear quarter, another on the top of the offside front wing, and two more on the nearside rear wing. Also, some small but noticeable scratches on the nearside front wing and passenger door, some scuffs and a touch-up on the nearside front bumper, and noticeable scratching and scuffs to the nearside rear bumper and both sills.

As for corrosion, something that’s been the bane of many 8 Series cars, there isn’t much. We spotted a couple of areas of bubbling on the sunroof, both rear wheelarches and doors, and near the rear numberplate.

The headlining was replaced in May 2024, and CH Autotrimmers took the opportunity to clean and repair the two front seats and sunroof mechanism while they were at it. The four-figure bill was worth it though because the refurbished seats, which are finished in Champagne hide and piped with aquamarine to complement the coachwork, look pretty good for their age as you walk up to them.

Still supportive thanks to their pronounced side bolsters and extendible under-thigh cushions, they might have softened a little over the years but remain very usable.

As you’d expect, the driver’s seat shows the most wear. The seller tells us that his intention was to create a “good, usable car” rather than a show queen, and if that’s what you’re looking for then the seats would be fine for a long time yet.

The rear seats have retained their shape even better, but they too have some age-related marks to their finish. However, if you’ve got kids then the patina they’re developing just means that you aren’t going to worry about sticky little fingers – and if you haven’t got kids then you can just fold ‘em forward, enjoy acres of extra luggage space, and pretend the marks don’t exist.

Not that you’ll be short of space even with them up because the boot might be shallow but it is deep and wide. It’s also home to the CD multichanger – a modern Bluetooth-equipped Pioneer headunit is fitted in the dashboard – and what looks like a complete, albeit rusty, tool kit.

The air-conditioning blows cold too, which is always refreshing. (See what we did there?)

As for cosmetic flaws, there is some wear to the backs of the front seats, and the digital display above the radio is blank on its upper half.

Our vendor tells us that the car was last serviced at the beginning of February 2025 and the work included sparkplugs, front and rear brake discs and pads, a change of brake fluid, and fresh coolant. 

There are plenty of invoices on file and it would be worth the investment of your time to browse them.

As the video demonstrates, the V8 engine fires into life, idles nicely, and responds well to the throttle.

The engine and underbonnet area are both decently clean and present very well. There is scope for further improvement should that be your thing, and this could span the range from nothing more than a quick wipe over all the way to a deep-clean followed by a detailing valet.

Maybe even replacing some of the rusty fasteners too, which is a simple job that always reaps disproportionate dividends.

The floorpan and underside look pretty good too. No MoT tester has ever mentioned structural rot, albeit with the caveat that there is some rust starting to develop under there and on the bodywork, and it would be wise to nip that in the bud sooner rather than later.

As for faults, the main beam of the offside headlamp is out. That’s all that we area ware of.

Although the BMW’s MoT certificate, which is valid until February 2026, was issued with no advisories, so the rust we spotted may well still be more of a cosmetic issue than anything more serious.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys, and the history file includes a brochure, the book pack and wallet, a bunch of expired MoT certificates, and plenty of old invoices and bills.

With a guide price that reflects the need for a little more TLC, we suspect the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £12,000 and £15,000, but as it is being offered with no reserve it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

That’s auctioneering at its purist because it’s going to be you, not us or the seller, who decides the level of interest and its subsequent value.

But, let’s face it, it isn’t going to go for peanuts because who wouldn’t want this in their garage?

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