Chassis No. WBAEG11090CB13160

OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

Debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1989, the 'E31' 8 Series was the most ambitious and technologically advanced road car produced by BMW since the homologated version of the M1 Group-5 race car. Underneath its sleek, two-door coupe body was an impressively complex package featuring an industry-first electronic drive-by-wire throttle, a multi-link rear axle, and in the twelve-cylinder 850i, a V12 power plant closely related to that of the mighty McLaren F1. Needless to say, BMW also equipped the new 8 Series with all the modern luxuries befitting a flagship grand tourer: dual-zone climate control, sunroof, full leather seats with electric adjustment, cruise control and a CD multi-changer. Sales in North America were truncated by the global recession of the early 1990s, making the E31 8 Series a very rare breed - rarest of all the 850i when optioned with a third pedal.

This pristine, six-speed manual BMW 850i is undoubtedly one of the very best offered for sale in recent memory, showing a mere 1,927 kilometers on the odometer from new. Finished in understated Granitsilber Metallic over Black leather, the BMW was registered to its first owner in Italy on 30 May 1991. Records show that the car received its first service at Verona Motors s.r.l. on 19 May 1995 at an indicated 1,445 kilometers. Clearly an object of admiration rather than a mode of transportation, the 850i didn't resurface for another service until it visited S.C. Automobile Bavaria, Bucharest, Romania on 6 February 2015, having covered only 314 kilometers in almost 20 years. In 2016, the car entered into the prestigious Illinois-based collection of its second and current owner, where its careful preservation has continued.

Today, it is difficult to find signs of its 30-plus years on the planet. The flawless Granitsilber paintwork retains its lovely shine and depth, while the ultrasoft leather and sumptuous carpets still look and feel fresh. Elsewhere, the engine and engine bay appear as they did on the factory floor and the trunk still carries its brand new factory spare. Given its exquisite originality and low mileage, this rare grand tourer – one of approximately 1000 equipped with a manual transmission – is surely one of the most intact examples of BMW's most advanced production car of its day.