Will the E32 ever increase in value

[biasvoltage]

At 43 I'm generally the oldest guy around at any E34 meet or on the discussion board. It's kind of funny, explaining things like what that little curly antenna cemented to the back window is for. I used to play around with 50s/60s American cars and would always bee the youngest guy at whatever the event was. I'm looking forward to getting my E32 750il roadworthy (soon!) and having the only one at Cars n' Coffee.

[MMMEAT]

At 43 I'm generally the oldest guy around at any E34 meet or on the discussion board. It's kind of funny, explaining things like what that little curly antenna cemented to the back window is for. I used to play around with 50s/60s American cars and would always bee the youngest guy at whatever the event was. I'm looking forward to getting my E32 750il roadworthy (soon!) and having the only one at Cars n' Coffee.

That reminds me..where can I get one of those antenneas!?? lol (you're definitely not the oldest E34 guy around..I'm 51 )

[CroughtonE32]

When I went to 5ers West last July in Portland, I was excited to see all of the E34s and E28s but one common theme really struck me-

There were a ton of E28s there(the group is the driver of the event, really) but there were VERY few cars in that group which were just untouched/unchanged original cars. Almost all of the shiny pretty ones had been repainted, and those with nice interiors were sporting new/different seats, steering wheels, dashes, etc. Almost all had aftermarket or different than original wheels. Really, though, the same could be said for the E34s there. Almost every E34 in existence has gone through a depreciation curve from Hell and has been bought now by a younger owner or two or three who has had to piece together their car just to keep it going, much less "preserve or improve" it's body, interior, wheels and suspension. A lot of aftermarket stuff is out there, luckily, as well as junked cars, so there have been a lot of these old 5ers kept going because they are really economical still..yet fun and carry a bit of cool-factor. But it's really rare to see a car that has been kept by it's original owner or two and just maintained and cleaned diligently. The same goes for the E32s. Luckily for the E32s, though, they share a lot of the parts with E34s so if the body is "there", a lot can be kept and maintained pretty easily. To NE32s point- I do know that the young E34 crowd, even those that covet the 5 and 6 speeds..are totally fans of the E32 also. Some will add them to their stables (and they often do have HUGE stables of E34s, what's another 2-4K$ E32 to add? lol)

Anyway, I really wanted to see a very simple original car that had been preserved. It was a rarity.

That struck me. It's really tough to resist the temptation to modify a BMW as it is..but it is also tough to keep the original equipment from a standpoint of maintenance and beauty. They just have wear points and it's tough to drive and enjoy one for decades without having to make some sort of compromise to it's originality.

That can be said for a lot of cars, not just BMWs..but the collector who wants to pay "above retail" is usually going to do so for that car that has been a unicorn all through the course of about 30-40 years. Originality is tough to acquire and to maintain, so it has a lot of value

Simple and original is for sure a rarity. I've posted pics before, but really proud to have kept my E32 "simple and original". Alpina wheels from the UK two years ago are about the only upgrade this car has seen. And as far as the youngsters are concerned..............I think the E32 fit in just fine among them at my last BMWCCA get together. Although at 68 I could have been a parent to most of them, I did have the only E32 at the gathering, and when my hood was lifted it sparked a conversation all its own. Here's to "Keeping Them All Out Of The Crusher"

[whiteghost1]

When I went to 5ers West last July in Portland, I was excited to see all of the E34s and E28s but one common theme really struck me-

There were a ton of E28s there(the group is the driver of the event, really) but there were VERY few cars in that group which were just untouched/unchanged original cars. Almost all of the shiny pretty ones had been repainted, and those with nice interiors were sporting new/different seats, steering wheels, dashes, etc. Almost all had aftermarket or different than original wheels. Really, though, the same could be said for the E34s there. Almost every E34 in existence has gone through a depreciation curve from Hell and has been bought now by a younger owner or two or three who has had to piece together their car just to keep it going, much less "preserve or improve" it's body, interior, wheels and suspension. A lot of aftermarket stuff is out there, luckily, as well as junked cars, so there have been a lot of these old 5ers kept going because they are really economical still..yet fun and carry a bit of cool-factor. But it's really rare to see a car that has been kept by it's original owner or two and just maintained and cleaned diligently. The same goes for the E32s. Luckily for the E32s, though, they share a lot of the parts with E34s so if the body is "there", a lot can be kept and maintained pretty easily. To NE32s point- I do know that the young E34 crowd, even those that covet the 5 and 6 speeds..are totally fans of the E32 also. Some will add them to their stables (and they often do have HUGE stables of E34s, what's another 2-4K$ E32 to add? lol)

Anyway, I really wanted to see a very simple original car that had been preserved. It was a rarity.

That struck me. It's really tough to resist the temptation to modify a BMW as it is..but it is also tough to keep the original equipment from a standpoint of maintenance and beauty. They just have wear points and it's tough to drive and enjoy one for decades without having to make some sort of compromise to it's originality.

That can be said for a lot of cars, not just BMWs..but the collector who wants to pay "above retail" is usually going to do so for that car that has been a unicorn all through the course of about 30-40 years. Originality is tough to acquire and to maintain, so it has a lot of value

^^^MMMEAT - Very well said. I've made a point of keeping mine as original as possible (it's a 750iL Individual/Highline) as stock will always prevail. I was tempted to modify it like I have done to every other vehicle I have ever owned, but started to realize that I would pulverize it's value and lower it's appeal by doing so. For example the EDC III struts needed attention, and replacing them with new static shocks & struts was a dramatically lower cost (ie.1/4 of the cost of keeping EDC!) and I could dial in the handling of the car by doing so. I opted to bite the bullet and keep the car original EDC III and replaced the struts with new. Hopefully it will pay off one day but I'm not holding my breath.

I was also going to add a nitrous system to my 750iL, as the M70 is perfect for nitrous or boost.....Low compression, forged internals, and large displacement 12 cyl to spread the dynamic additional loading just screams inject some more power into me.

I did buy a Wizards of NOS dual nozzle nitrous system with that intent but I decided to put it on my daily BMW instead for the aforementioned originality reasons. What really turned me off of the idea of installing it in my e32 is having to drill holes in the trunk floor and the (NLA) trunk carpet for the nitrous bottle; I even looked worldwide at BMW dealers trying to buy a new trunk carpet in case I ever decided to revert to stock, couldn`t find one available anymore in the system. Even bought a different used spare trunk carpet in preperation.

As you can imagine finding a OE BMW new carpet (or even used.....) that matches is near impossible. It has a unique trunk layout with the cutout and flaps for the fridge protruding from the backseat.

IMG_9847.jpg

Made the executive decision that I could get a lot more use out of nitrous on my daily driver than on my e32 summer cruiser. So I stopped there before I got started.

Looking back I'm glad I didn't install nitrous on my e32. Instead I decided on adding mods that could not be seen, but still make it more spirited to drive in the acceleration & handling dept. The only mods that can be seen are when you open the hood & they could easily be reversed to original if the time comes. Otherwise the exterior and interior are practically 100% stock (if you discount a mini rear trunk lip) if anyone were to look the car over.

[youngbimmer]

I am 23, probably the youngest here with an E32. I love it and am trying to preserve my very rare example of a car, while doing only light/tasteful modifications, otherwise sticking to original everything. I will happily post pictures when I get my hood paint sorted, or save enough for at least a full repsray and ding repairs on the doors.

[Peter Coomarasw]

NE32, don't feel bad, I just drove 450 miles last weekend in my e9, a very bad a$$ car, I had 2 people give me the thumbs up and one guy in a new 5.0 mustang wave, other than that we're just old and in the way, and Sansouci, unfortunately for me my former spouse thinks that the older I get the more of a jerk I become and it angers the heck out of her when I come and get the kids in a like new looking 4,000.00 BMW, oh well, I tell her the most problematic BMW I own is lower maintenance than she is- and more fun to drive. (is it any wonder she despises me) :-)

[Schoony]

Well after reading through all these comments we will see as I have a 1994 740i with 113k miles. It is an absolutely beautiful car in my opinion. It is for sale on Ebay. Time will tell us what it's worth. I really don't want to sell it at all but I have way too many cars and am cutting my stable down to 2 for financial reasons.

[Zieg]

Is your car the Brokatrot car? If it is I have that car on my ebay watch list. Very nice car. If it does not sell would you be interested in a possible trade?

[Schoony]

Yes it is and no trades as I have too many cars in my stable now but thank you for asking.

[Incae21]

Well here we are with a nice "7 year bump" haha..I've been looking at E32s for the last 2 years now and notice a LOT fewer on Ebay, Craigslist, etc. In fact they are terribly hard to find, compared to just two years ago. I was about to pay 7K for one in Indianapolis with 105K miles on it..then it sold. There was nothing else in the country, as far as I could find, worthy of even a look!

And then I stumbled upon the only one without 150k miles or more and looking like a rattle trap for about 2-3KK..and I got it for 2,000 and feel like I stole it.

These E32s are officially rare right now. Especially in nice polished working order. I dare ya to find a nice clean 740 or 740iL especially.

Location plays a big factor. A few months ago in December, I picked an '88 735i 5spd in really good condition (white on tan) for $2k, up in Marietta, GA. Drove it back to FL (7hr trip) without a hiccup.

[MMMEAT]

Well after reading through all these comments we will see as I have a 1994 740i with 113k miles. It is an absolutely beautiful car in my opinion. It is for sale on Ebay. Time will tell us what it's worth. I really don't want to sell it at all but I have way too many cars and am cutting my stable down to 2 for financial reasons.

I posted your ad on the Bimmerforums E34 Facebook Page.. lots of "likes" lol but perhaps someone will start bidding. If I'd seen your car a month ago, I'd been bidding right now, I can tell you that! Gorgeous car. EDIT--did you add the shadowline trim or??

Good luck

[S1L1SC]

Location plays a big factor. A few months ago in December, I picked an '88 735i 5spd in really good condition (white on tan) for $2k, up in Marietta, GA. Drove it back to FL (7hr trip) without a hiccup.

Atlanta generally has a good selection of used cars, condition is a huge gamble most of the time though.

[Schoony]

I posted your ad on the Bimmerforums E34 Facebook Page.. lots of "likes" lol but perhaps someone will start bidding. If I'd seen your car a month ago, I'd been bidding right now, I can tell you that! Gorgeous car. EDIT--did you add the shadowline trim or??

Good luck

Thank you for posting my car. I did ad the shadowline my self as I didn't like the chrome look. That stuff works great.

[Schoony]

Well, I posted my beautiful 1994 BMW 740i with 113k miles 0n Ebay for $4500 and had 1,729 views and 65 watcher but in the end no bids. If you got to look at this Bmw on Ebay I would guess that it is one of the nicest BMW E32 in the country but yet no interest. So in the end these cars have no interest to the public other than us few die hards. I have decided to keep it and drive it as this car rides so quiet rides comfortable but yet handles so well and has power to spare with it's
V8 and has features way ahead of it's time so that it is still equal with modern cars today. So to all a goodnight!

[CroughtonE32]

Well, I posted my beautiful 1994 BMW 740i with 113k miles 0n Ebay for $4500 and had 1,729 views and 65 watcher but in the end no bids. If you got to look at this Bmw on Ebay I would guess that it is one of the nicest BMW E32 in the country but yet no interest. So in the end these cars have no interest to the public other than us few die hards. I have decided to keep it and drive it as this car rides so quiet rides comfortable but yet handles so well and has power to spare with it's
V8 and has features way ahead of it's time so that it is still equal with modern cars today. So to all a goodnight!

I just took another look at your E32 on Craigs List. It really is in great shape. You should forget about the measly few grand somebody will give you for it and keep that thing for a lifetime. No new mid size car will come close to the ride and comfort of what you've got. Also I noticed you're in Monticello. Great memories of that place. 1958 as a 10 year old at Camp Kennybrook, and just before the military in 65 and 66 working as a bus boy at The Concord. Also some great times at Sackett Lake. It must be a great thing living up there all year long................................

[Schoony]

Yes Monticello. I grew up here and we are the same age. We may have crossed paths at one time back then. I was a waiter, busboy. car hop, caddy etc during those times and it was a thriving fun place and time for me, fun fun fun. I may take your advise and keep the BMW.

[CroughtonE32]

Yes Monticello. I grew up here and we are the same age. We may have crossed paths at one time back then. I was a waiter, busboy. car hop, caddy etc during those times and it was a thriving fun place and time for me, fun fun fun. I may take your advise and keep the BMW.

I would take that car over to Kaplan's Deli, maybe pick up some fruit at Graper's, drive over to Captain Henry's on Sackett Lake and rent a boat for the day, and end up at Singer's in Liberty for dinner. Then once I found out if the "FIX" was in and I had it, head over to the Trotters for a quick win. Would have loved doing that in an E32 instead of a Ford Falcon.

[MMMEAT]

Well, I posted my beautiful 1994 BMW 740i with 113k miles 0n Ebay for $4500 and had 1,729 views and 65 watcher but in the end no bids. If you got to look at this Bmw on Ebay I would guess that it is one of the nicest BMW E32 in the country but yet no interest. So in the end these cars have no interest to the public other than us few die hards. I have decided to keep it and drive it as this car rides so quiet rides comfortable but yet handles so well and has power to spare with it's
V8 and has features way ahead of it's time so that it is still equal with modern cars today. So to all a goodnight!

To be honest..I think I'd have done two things:

1. List with a really low starting price. I'd imagine about everyone watching was "interested" but wanted to be able to get a steal..and a lot of people are likely interested but would wait out the auction and see if they could buy it after no bids resulted. It's a daring way to do it, but reserves are a hindrance just like "high" starting prices.

2. The car is beautiful, I have faith in that. But for perfection on an ad, the lighting was a just a bit "washed out" as the sun was so bright in the pics. The good ol' "golden hour" makes a car look a lot better. And a few undercarriage pics would probably do you some good. Being in the "East" scares some people and they want to see the underside. Even if you offer to show them to people after an email or message, people are by and large lazy and just want to have them put right into their faces/screens without any effort.

I don't mean to be critical, just offering a couple points if I can come up with anything at all to offer for feedback.

In the end, a lot of auctions end without bids and without sales and you have to just tweek things and keep trying. If you don't really want to sell the car (and that is understandable!) that's one thing..but there are ways to get it sold if you do. This stuff takes some persistence sometimes, that's for sure

I'd also add..Bring A Trailer is an awesome way to sell. The cars do really well on there and you have the ability to talk to prospective buyers, share info, answer questions etc..plus the format keeps the buyer/bidder flakes away as they pay the commission and you have to put down a credit card and get debited upon bidding. If you win and auction, you are automatically charged, so it keeps things very very legit.


Cheers,

B

[biasvoltage]

But for perfection on an ad, the lighting was a just a bit "washed out" as the sun was so bright in the pics. The good ol' "golden hour" makes a car look a lot better.

+1 to this. Here's an example, my 535i/5 I sold last year. Mind you, this was a $1000 beater that I did some basic maintenance on and spent a couple of days polishing the paint, then drove for a couple of years. I pulled the auction after a few days because someone local paid a premium OVER my "buy it now" price, because they fell in love with the car based on the pictures. I found an interesting location and waited until the sun had just set to take the pictures.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331817274860?ul_noapp=true

[Schoony]

Thank you everybody for their kind advise. I just bought a new Toyota Tundra and that's going to be my new hot rod as in the future I may modify it with supercharger etc. I have a C6 Corvette, 1987 Mustang Gt and the BMW. I think I will sell the Corvette and the Mustang and be happy with the Tundra and BMW. The Corvette is a weekend car and the Mustang sits in the garage so I am going to cut down my stable as all these vehicle's are expensive to keep and my wallet is becoming smaller as a result

[whiteghost1]

We (the e32) have reached the bottom of the parabolic depreciation curve a few years back, and are now on the upswing IMO. Maybe not as dramatic as some of the more unique/desirable cars from the 90's and older, but I have noticed a trend of the more well kept examples commanding a higher price and actually selling. In the OP's case you'd have to be more patient and give it time, "sell" the car more, and also give your ride more exposure on BMWCCA, Bringatrailer, etc......
Whenever I want to sell a car I wait to get it professionally detailed on a sunny day, and take it to a scenic spot for pictures immediately thereafter. Then take a lot semi-professional photos from multiple angles. From a return point of view it's worth the money invested as it raises the bar so much higher when seen on an FS ad; the car just pops out at you.

Seems like we can benefit from the skyrocketing e30 M3, e31 CSi, e34 M5 and so on, by piggybacking on their success. BMW enthusiasts who wish they could have those cars are looking for more affordable options, myself included. I feel that if you maintain your e32 and keep it in good shape, they will slowly go up in value (opposed to depreciating) as time goes on and as all of the beater e32's get demolished.

There's not too many affordable BMW's which you get random thumbs up driving down the road, or some stranger that you end up having a 1/2hr conversation about your car with at a gas station. As time goes on I'm finding myself in more of those situations than ever before. The last stranger that made an effort to talk to me said he was glad to see my e32 in such good condition. His comment was on the rare occasion that you seen one, that they are usually beat.

[MMMEAT]

We (the e32) have reached the bottom of the parabolic depreciation curve a few years back, and are now on the upswing IMO. Maybe not as dramatic as some of the more unique/desirable cars from the 90's and older, but I have noticed a trend of the more well kept examples commanding a higher price and actually selling. In the OP's case you'd have to be more patient and give it time, "sell" the car more, and also give your ride more exposure on BMWCCA, Bringatrailer, etc......
Whenever I want to sell a car I wait to get it professionally detailed on a sunny day, and take it to a scenic spot for pictures immediately thereafter. Then take a lot semi-professional photos from multiple angles. From a return point of view it's worth the money invested as it raises the bar so much higher when seen on an FS ad; the car just pops out at you.

Seems like we can benefit from the skyrocketing e30 M3, e31 CSi, e34 M5 and so on, by piggybacking on their success. BMW enthusiasts who wish they could have those cars are looking for more affordable options, myself included. I feel that if you maintain your e32 and keep it in good shape, they will slowly go up in value (opposed to depreciating) as time goes on and as all of the beater e32's get demolished.

There's not too many affordable BMW's which you get random thumbs up driving down the road, or some stranger that you end up having a 1/2hr conversation about your car with at a gas station. As time goes on I'm finding myself in more of those situations than ever before. The last stranger that made an effort to talk to me said he was glad to see my e32 in such good condition. His comment was on the rare occasion that you seen one, that they are usually beat.

Good synopsis..


The thing about E32s and E34s(to a degree) too..is that they are just not all that "easy" to keep on driving into the ground no matter what the cosmetics. It is tough to find a real ugly unmaintained one on the road too because of, for example, the cost to simply replace upper and lower control arm bushings properly. I can see a lot of people just giving up on the cars when they thing it's worth about 1500 bucks and the AC is not working, the bushings need a 500.00 (at least, with labor) replacement and things stop right there. So the car sits and it's just rotting away. If it's more of an issue like a motor/electronic gremlin in a 750 it's often lights out for that car too unless it's owned or bought by a good mechanic who has the time and drive/desire to work on it. But taking your 750 to the shop is often gonna mean it's death if it's not a really nice clean one that is a person's baby..same for the 740 at this point. This will certainly accelerate the value curve for the remaining nice ones, and it will also accelerate the number of cars being crushed. But as you indicated, the bottom of the curve can last for a while and be full of little mini ups and downs before a "REAL" general move up takes place. On coupes and M cars and stickshift cars, things seem to hit a point at the bottom and really make a sudden noticeable move back up once the word gets out..

A lot of young kids are resurrecting 525s, 530s and 540s, especially if they are 5 and 6 speeds, so yes, they too are now going up in value. These kids are the ones I have to give a lot of credit to. They are self-reliant and not afraid to work on their cars. They see the value in 'em and they can afford them. And they go for them because they've got some penash, gives some street cred, and the cars are sporty with sticks. the thing about these cars, though, is that they often aren't really cleaned up/repainted and finished in the "body areas" because they have to have $$ invested for keeping them running well. Plus, the value of these cars will not go up much when the youngsters are piling a lot of miles on 'em while they daily drive them. But these folks don't generally don't look at an E32. They do admire a nice one on the road, though, because they like the body style and they appreciate what it takes to keep one alive and healthy.

[E32FAN]

Every time that I have put one of my BMW cars up for sale, the Buyer has been Me.

I know a value when I see one!

[TonyPa]

Simple and original is for sure a rarity. I've posted pics before, but really proud to have kept my E32 "simple and original". Alpina wheels from the UK two years ago are about the only upgrade this car has seen. And as far as the youngsters are concerned..............I think the E32 fit in just fine among them at my last BMWCCA get together. Although at 68 I could have been a parent to most of them, I did have the only E32 at the gathering, and when my hood was lifted it sparked a conversation all its own. Here's to "Keeping Them All Out Of The Crusher"

I like your front and rear plate! Well, I like your whole car!!!!

- - - Updated - - -

I am 23, probably the youngest here with an E32. I love it and am trying to preserve my very rare example of a car, while doing only light/tasteful modifications, otherwise sticking to original everything. I will happily post pictures when I get my hood paint sorted, or save enough for at least a full repsray and ding repairs on the doors.

I wished I was 23 again! I am turning 53 in July. Ugh! Thats nice to hear of younger guys taking interest in the older E32's. I always owned a ton of Beetles, older ones. Then of course American muscle, and some Benz's! But this car is a keeper. I love this E32.

When I dropped by a cruise last year by my house, people were walking past, and some stopped and stared, as they never seen one. But here in the Rust Belt, I only see a 740 running around. She looks older than me, but....Its lowered with rims?? Has to be her kids car. If not, she's way cooler than me! LOL

[NE32]

In Nebraska, I've only seen two. Mine and an older gentlemen has a gray one. The two times we crossed, we were going different directions. Can't tell you how giddy I get when I spot him . I WISH there is more in the area just so we could get together. Newer 3 and 5 series are the name of the game out here.