White Elephant – 1993 BMW 740iA E32

E32 740iA, in appliance white.

This exact parking spot must have some significance: it’s the same spot in which I saw the white Mirada, and this time it was occupied by another huge V8 behemoth in white. There are similarities: sharp design, automatic gearbox, some patina – but I wouldn’t call the Dodge and the BMW twins.

More pics of the BMW coming up.

There’s something sinister about a large white sedan with tinted windows, something Yakuza-like. That effect is somewhat hampered by the shoddily applied “740” badges, most likely bought from a parts store for pocket pennies.

The black steelies suit the car very well. Mostly, E32:s at least have plain wheeltrims if they aren’t on BBS:s; here, the owner has gone the utilitarian route and just kept to steel wheels.

I’m thinking the rear light clusters have been moderately tinted, but I’m not sure. Either way, the car could do with a refreshing of the clusters, as these are dull and cracked. I don’t think it’s first in the list, but something that always freshens up a used car – if they do not respond to buffing, that is.

There are parking sensors, but I don’t know if they are original or cheaper aftermarket ones. The car is obviously a later import, as the plates testify – only a few E32:s have been in the country since new.

Up front, there are clear blinkers and a chin spoiler that has taken a couple blows. The kidneys look a bit ill-fitting, but I don’t know if they’re supposed to be more flush.

While the paint isn’t bad, it’s not too shiny and it’s chipped down low, like on the fender bottom and rockers. The door bottoms seem to be browning slightly. But it’s in lighting like this the bruiser BMW cruiser really looks the best; the black wheels sort of disappear altogether and the car takes on a menacing hunch.

I’m also thinking the car’s been lowered, but do not know if that’s actually any finer Fahrwerk or just shortened springs. From what evil tongues tell me, E32:s have some issues with their suspension, so it might just be sagging.

The E32 here is for sale for the princely sum of 2640 EUR. That’s way down in the “run for your lives” ballpark of 7-series pricing, so it must bear some expensive baggage – especially when the seller accepts offers and the price is not fixed.

There’s also the inevitable “old car, has patina” kind of spiel in the ad, which probably means that in addition to the chipping, dull paint it has a load of gremlins that will cost some serious dollar to anyone who can’t bear driving around town in a not-100%-functioning BMW. But if there’s nothing that prohibits the car being inspected come May, or makes the driving experience more miserable than piloting a former luxury car should be, it’s not a bad price for four litres of Bavarian gravitas.

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