BMW 520i Lux Automatic (E28)

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Widely praised as the finest saloon of its era, the E28 5-Series could give many a sports car a good run for its money thanks to superb chassis dynamics and a range of charismatic six-cylinder engines.

Designed by Claus Luthe (of NSU Ro 80 fame), it also looked great with a big glassy cabin, distinctive ‘sharknose’ front and dynamically raked C pillars. In production from 1981 to 1988, it helped cement BMW’s reputation as ‘the ultimate driving machine’ and still has a fanatical following today, the heroic M5 version, in particular, being very keenly sought after.

In typical German fashion though, the basic spec was quite austere (even the radio was an extra cost option) and it wasn’t until the Lux model came along that it really made serious inroads into the luxury Granada Ghia/Jaguar market sector. With standard kit such as metallic paint, a factory sunroof, comfort seating in plush velour, rear headrests, front fog lamps, BBS style cross spoke alloys, electric aerial, leather sports steering wheel and the distinctive duo tone side stripes, this special edition flew off the showroom floors and a waiting list was quick to form.

Supplied new by Vines of Guildford, this sharp 1987 example has the frugal but punchy 127bhp fuel-injected 2-litre straight-six and is finished in rare and attractive Royal Blue metallic, complimented by oatmeal plush velour trim and the original cross spoke alloys.

It has had only four owners to date, the last for seven years and the third for over 20 years, we believe. Showing just 64,000 miles on the clock, it sadly lost its handbooks some time ago so this figure cannot be warranted, but the overall condition of the car leads one to believe that it is more than likely genuine. With an MOT until January 2016 it is ready to enjoy right away.

These ‘sharknose’ E28s really do stand out from the crowd these days, not just for their looks but also their fantastic build quality. You can tell that craftsmen were in charge of building these cars and not accountants.