20k: Rising Tide: 1988 BMW M5 E28
A few years ago I would have dismissed an almost $20k E28 M5 with 100k miles on the odometer as an over achieving seller, but with the monumental jump in E30 M3 prices for the past few years, one has to wonder if its big brother will soon follow suit. I, for one, hope it doesn’t because I am neither an owner nor collector of E28s but would love to have them as an affordable cool car that I could someday own/drive for cheap — which won’t be the case if they suddenly shoot to the $30k price range. Find this 1988 BMW M5
currently bidding for $17,600 reserve-not-met on ebay with 2 days to go, located in Massapeque, NY.
The E28 M5 should be on any enthusiasts short list, but if it follows the E30 M3 to stupid prices, there is little internet pundits can do other than pound their fists on keyboards and watch the jump from depreciated junk to appreciating classic. It is only a matter of time since the M5 is a fabulous car to drive, probably equal or better than the little 4-banger powered M3. But this isn’t communist Cuba and we can’t force market prices, so in the mean time we’ll try to point out good deals when they appear.
Under the (conventionally hinged) hood of theE28 is a 3.5 liter
inline 6 putting out 256 horsepower. The catalyst equipped version of the S38 B35 made for the US market was enough to make the M5 the fastest
sedan ever built when it was new. The S38 was a detuned version of the
BMW M1 supercar engine (mated to the 535’s 5-spd manual trans and
standard limited slip diff), and compared to almost everything else sold in
1988 it was very fast.
The interior of this M5 looks in good shape, but even if some pieces/parts are broken it isn’t the end of the world as 99% of the interior is shared with the lower version of the E28 5-series. Of course this M5 is black on the outside and tan on the inside — all 2191 of the 1988 model year only M5 were dressed the same.
I still think this seller might be a bit ahead of the market, cars sold recently seem to be cheaper…but…somebody on the bidding end seems to think otherwise. Will be an interesting one to watch…or buy! tips@dailyturismo.com
Seller is more than a little optimistic in his descriptions and pricing, and maybe he should back off on the photo filtering a little bit. The car will speak for itself, and all that extra crap is a distraction. Yes, it looks to be in fairly good shape, but not what I'd call "mint." Also, in my experience, Long Island isn't much less harsh on cars than NYC, so that's not helping either.
By the way, I share DT's disappointment that the E28 M5 is already starting to follow the same appreciation curve as the E30 M3. Then again, the E28 M5 a more appealing car than the E30 M3 in many ways. Also disappointing: BMW NA's decision to limit US imports to the "Natur" (tan) interior. It really doesn't age very well. (There were apparently a few – like 2 or 3 – "black" interiors that made it through. And you need to be really motivated to DIY the replacement of all the various pieces to black.)
More Like ~100 Black on Black M5's in North America, and no, the interior is actually all leather, which makes almost every panel different from a 'standard' E28.
mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=125175