1999 BMW M5 E39

With just the one owner from new and only 40,000 miles on the clock, ‘V840 JDS’ is a 1999 BMW M5 E39 finished in Silverstone Metallic with a black and grey leather interior.

The seller bought it when he retired as a doctor and while he has done a few long runs to places like London and Devon it has been used mainly throughout Scotland as he pursued his passion for golf.

He said he will be “sorry to lose an old friend” but ill health means he can no longer drive it, so he’s hoping it’ll go to another caring and enthusiastic owner who will grow to love it like he does.

One-owner-from-new cars like this give us all a chance to admire the M5’s shutlines and panel alignment, which is so tight and consistent it shows the cliché of the E39’s ‘Teutonic build quality’ is accurate. 

Mind you, the owner has to take the credit for it still being in such a good condition. Beautifully curated and presented, the Silverstone Metallic paint is excellent and we can’t recall seeing a better and more original one in all the years we’ve been doing this.

The limited chrome the M5 wears is very good too, as are the lamp lenses, window glass, and badges and while the seller told us he didn’t use the sunroof much (“we don’t often have the weather for it!”) he did appreciate the pop-up deflector when he did.

All in all, it really is a bit of a time capsule, an expression that might be another cliché (cars as good as this encourage them…) but is true. 

The 18-inch M-Sport alloy wheels are ridiculously shiny and fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport tyres. As for the TPMS, it’s a mark of how well he maintained the car that he says he never once triggered a warning light for low pressure.

We will also never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

As for work that needs doing, there is some corrosion on both sills and rear wheelarches, which will need to be caught before it turns into something more troublesome.

Cosmetically, the numberplates have seen better days, the rims have a few light nibbles, and there are some light scratches to the offside corner of the front bumper. 

The two-tone interior strikes a balance between sombre efficiency and effortless cool, which means it’s entirely in keeping with the understated M5’s mission statement.

And it, like the coachwork, is in a terrific condition. 

Mind you, with a miniscule mileage and an owner who spent a past quarter of a century carefully curating it, that’s not a surprise, is it?

So, for a change, shall we start with the bad bits?

The outer edge of the driver’s seat has started to soften. Just a little. 

And the digital display doesn’t read as it should, and the cupholders in the back are broken.

That’s it. 

Everything else is beautifully preserved. The front seats slide fore and aft and up and down at the press of a button just like they should. They’re comfortable too, and as supportive as Dear Deidre at her peak. 

And, as you can see, they do it all while still looking a million bucks. 

The front passenger seat is in an excellent condition, and the rear seat is even better being plump and almost unmarked. 

The M-Sport steering wheel and gearknob for the six-speed manual gearbox are present and correct, as are the M-Sport dials and the 180mph speedometer. 

The headlining is taut and clean and undamaged. The door cards are pretty much as good as new. The writing on the buttons and controls is still vibrant and bright white. The headunit is still the original and the carpets and overmats are excellent.

The boot is as well presented as the cabin. It’s also home to the (almost certainly unused) tool kit and warning triangle plus a CD-multichanger, some spare bulbs, and a container of engine oil. 

The seller tells us that the M5 is a “pleasure to drive”, being “so docile” around town thanks to the normally aspirated engine but showing “plenty of power when needed”. 

He says he isn’t aware of anything he needs to warn people about, something the video reinforces with easy starting and a rock-steady idle. There are no warning lights either and the whole performance is underlined by a quartet of snarling exhaust tailpipes.

The engine bay is a joy being clean and tidy but not overly fussy; it’s exactly as we like to see them, being clean enough to be able to work on it without having to valet it first and yet not so clean you’ll be afraid to use it.

As for the underside, can we remind you that not one MoT tester has ever had cause to raise the spectre of structural corrosion? True, a couple of the suspension arms are rusty but that would be a straightforward and non-intrusive fix. 

The M5 comes with a stamped service history booklet, the wallet and full book pack, three keys, a clear run of expired tax discs, and plenty of expired MoT certificates.

Speaking of which, the M5’s MoT certificate is valid until November 2024 and it, like every single certificate bar one, was issued with no advisories. 

And the aberration? It was for tyres that were worn close to, but not below, the legal limit. That’s a helluva record, isn’t it? 

The recent Vehicle History Check is also clear. But then you’d guessed that. 

Many enthusiasts rate the E39 M5 as being the very best of ‘em all; still largely analogue and yet viciously fast, its handling is what makes this iteration so compelling.

And yet, they’re still, in our eyes at least, cheap – and that won’t last forever. In fact, we’re starting to see them climb in value with the very best cars having already topped £60,000… 

Which makes the £30,000 - £35,000 we think this one will fetch seem good value.

Still unsure whether to bid?

In that case can we ask when you last saw a genuine one-owner-from-new example that’s also been properly looked after?

Quite. 

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’.