1999 BMW 528i Sport

Built in 1999 and sent straight to Japan where it remained for the next 20 years, this right-hand-drive, Euro-spec BMW 528i Sport arrived here in 2018 and its rust-free condition led it into the seller’s hands a year after that.

Still a low-mileage example despite the owner having added 20,000miles in the five years he’s had it, the (converted, the speedo is in kms) mileage is still shy of 40,000.

Finished in Titan Silver Metallic with an Anthracite part cloth / part Alcantara-like interior, it is also fitted with the automatic gearbox that suits V454 MAU’s nature better than you might think. 

Only being sold because he’s got a new project in the offing, the seller drips enthusiasm for his long-term Germanic partner.

We’re huge fans of buying cars from Japan because the car culture there leads to them being looked after so well. Nor do they use road salt in the winter to combat freeing conditions. 

This combination of careful curation and much less rust than you see on the equivalent UK cars can be a beguiling one.

Like here. With very good shutlines still and excellent panel alignment, the backdrop is set for the Titan Silver Metallic paintwork to shine.

And shine it does. It has a good gleam to it and the hue suits the car’s shape, given it a suitably hewn-from-solid look. The colour-coded bumpers and side skirts of the Sport model are present and correct, and the window glass and lamp lenses are good.

The M-Sport alloy wheels are in a good condition, albeit they would benefit from new centre caps. They are fitted with a mixture of Radial GT SportActive and Comforser tyres.

As for flaws, there are marks on the bonnet, a couple of small dings on the driver’s and nearside rear doors, some lacquer loss to the nearside lower corner of the front bumper, and a few scrapes on the door mirrors, nearside front door, and offside corner of the front bumper.

The G3AT Anthracite velour interior is rather sleek and there’s no denying the quality because it’s survived the past quarter of a century with impressive aplomb.

It’s also a much more sensible choice than the leather interior everyone thinks they want; velour is grippier and warmer than hide, both of which are important in a car with this one’s luxury sporting credentials.

The electrically adjustable front seats are in good shape being firm and comfortable and supportive, which is exactly the trifecta you need.

The rear seats are even better, and the door cards, dashboard, and carpets are also good.

The period radio-cassette player is tucked away in the dashboard behind a door, both of which are lovely to see.

As is the sick bag, even if that’s simply because it’s (yet another) sign of the car’s originality.

You want more proof of the interior’s indestructability and the care with which it has been maintained? How about the bright white lettering on the switches? And the still-taut pockets on the back of the front seats?

Even What Car? Magazine wrote of it in 2021: “Not only was it more “captivating to drive” than the Saab 9000 and Mercedes E-Class thanks to its “enticing chassis”, but it was also the quickest car of the group, the most comfortable and featured the highest quality interior.” 

(The same magazine also voted it Best Car of the 1990s.)

As for the boot, it’s still got the tool kit and warning triangle in the boot lid, and a very good full-size spare alloy wheel and jack in the spare wheel well. 

And yet, like us, it isn’t perfect. The headlining is drooping, so that’ll need to be sorted out. The outer edge of the driver’s seat has some entry and exit wear too, but that’s far less noticeable and we think most folk would be happy to leave that as it is. 

NB: While the dashboard still shows KM/H, there is a replacement speedometer face in MPH, should you want to swap them over.

The seller reports “the car drives perfectly” and has been “a boringly trouble-free experience”, which might sound like he’s damning it with faint praise, but we think that unless you’re an inveterate tinkerer it doesn’t get much better than that.

As you can see in the video on the listing, it starts well, idles as it should, and revs very smoothly.

The engine bay and engine are a little grubby but there’s nothing a quick valet wouldn’t improve. Not that it’s bad, because it isn’t. It’s actually more the reverse: the potential is there to be very good, and it wouldn’t take much to achieve it.

The underbonnet sound-deadening has got a few holes in it but we think they aren’t anywhere near bad enough to warrant replacing it.

The underside looks straight and solid.

The BMW’s MoT certificate is valid until November 2024. The only advisory point was condensation in both headlamps and the seller has sorted one already by disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling with new gaskets. He told us he will do the other before the end of the auction.

We are told there are eleven service stamps from its time in Japan - there is certainly paperwork from there with the following mileages recorded: 2,497kms, 4,538kms, 5,594kms, 7,548kms, 13,775kms, 16,110kms, 18,233kms, 19,339kms, 21,432kms, 23,537kms, and 24,665kms – and the seller treated it to a full service at Billingborough Cars in November 2023 at a cost of well over £500. 

January 2019 also saw it receive an oil service and some fettling, 

The BMW also comes with the book pack and wallet, lots of paperwork from Japan including the export certificate, a letter from the DVLA authorizing its registration, and the NOVA acknowledgement from HMRC

The seller summarizes his car as: “altogether an amazing machine. Fast, with super-smooth acceleration and gearchanges. It fits five people in comfort and is cheap to insure - I pay under £200, for example - and I’m only selling because I need the space for another project.

We’d add the fact it pre-dates the period when BMW started to try a bit too hard, so is one of the Bavarian firm’s timeless designs. It’s also bombproof, reliable, decently economical, and juggles long-distance comfort with a genuinely thrilling chassis better than most.

All of which could be yours for somewhere between £5,000 and £8,000 but given it is being offered with no reserve, it could fetch even less.

That’s staggering value for money, isn’t it?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Billingborough, Lincolnshire. 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’.