The Story
Back in 1989, I was about 5 years old. My father was on his second BMW, which back then was a 1988 E34 BMW 535i SE. The first car he purchased from BMW was back in 1988, which was a 1984 BMW 735i (E23). It was the 7 Series that made me fall for the Munich brand, but the 5 Series which made me become well... obsessed, as it was a very high spec model, which items such as a mobile phone.
Any back to 1989, my father came home with a magazine, on the front was the most beautiful car, I had ever seen, and my dad said, "Do you like that car son?". I couldn't answer I was gobsmacked with its beauty, it was way back before I was interested in girls. I told him Yes. He said it was the new BMW 8 Series. He wanted one.
My photo from back in 2012 (so cheap then)
The next day my father bought me 2 gifts, I was very surprised as my father never really bought me gifts, unless it was Christmas or my birthday.
First of all opened up the flat present. It was a glass framed photo of the New 8 Series in Cayipso red. It was an 850i.
In the other box, was a scaled model of the same car. It was beautiful!
Dad said, he will buy one, once again.
A few years later, we were on holiday. We were in my Dads 1990 E32 Alpina B12 7 Series. Alpina is my dream version of each BMW. We were visiting a place in the UK called 'The New Forest', for our camping trip. My dad loved camping, even though his car was probably more than a house back then.
We found a posh showroom, and inside was a stunning Yellow BMW 850CSi, which was what was considered the top 8 Series from BMW. But what made this 8 Series special was, it was an AC Schnitzer version, which was from a tuning company.
Anyway, a few years later My father came home in his dream car (which was and still is my dream car). It was a stunning 1992 BMW 850i finished in brilliant red, with black leather seats... I will try and find the photos I took back in the day (sorry about the quality, I was only young, with an old camera).
I was smitten with this car, and I was most upset when he sold it. It got so much attention, compared to more expensive cars that followed.
My dad said he would love another one day, and I pray that one day I will have one too, which I will leave to my daughter (she is almost 3 and loves BMW).
My dream car is any BMW 8 Series from the lower 840ci (4.0) all the way up to the Alpina B12 variant, so I will aim my sights on the cheaper to run 850i or 840ci.
Prices in the UK
If I wanted to buy a brand new 8 Series in the UK from the dealer, with no extras, It would cost £74,665 (OTR On The Road). That's for an 840i M Sport. That is 147,571 HIVE
www.BMW.co.uk
The rate today is (2/5/2021)
1 GBP = 1.98 HIVE
1 HIVE = 0.505961 GBP
Initial price
£60,720.83
Selected optional equipment
£0.00
VAT (20%)
£12,144.17
On the Road Fee
£1,800.00
OTR*
£74,665.00
If I wanted to buy one used, it would cost £48,995 for a 2019 840i with some spec and very low miles. It proves it will devalue quick, which is not ideal for me. Saying that my father lost a lot more on his 8 series back in the 1990s.
The classic 8 Series
The car I want is the classic 8 Series, as you may know by now, it's close to my heart.
A Few years ago, they were quite cheap, but the prices are starting to climb.
The cheapest a few years back would have cost me about £5000 for an ok one, but the cheapest one these days is a 1995 840Ci (4.0) for £10,500 (23258.0867 HIVE) which is a bargain. I predict that they will double that in a few years, and I need to be quick!!
This is a screenshot from www.autotrader.co.uk
It's the perfect dream car for me in many ways.
A dream car is all about me, my own time, fixing her up etc.
It's perfect for cruising the mountain roads.
It's easy to fix compared to the new version.
It needs to grab your soul, and give you a feeling that no other material thing can do.
It will go up in price (not that I'd sell it)
When I leave it to my daughter in 40 years, it will always connect her to me, and remind her of her childhood and fun times, as it did with my father and I.
