It might be 40 years old and show over 180,000 miles, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a classic 5-Series as well-loved as our Pick of the Day. It’s a 1985 BMW 528e sedan listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Lisbon, Wisconsin.
“Extremely well maintained with service records dating back to 1995,” the listing says. Noteworthy features for the vintage European luxury sedan include fog lamps, chrome bumpers, and body side moldings. The 14-inch alloy wheels are usually referred to in the enthusiast community as “bottlecap” wheels due to their unique design. Even though the odometer reads 185,995 miles, the car looks to be preserved both inside and out.
Since 1972, the BMW 5-Series has showcased some of the brand’s cutting-edge technology. One of BMW’s advertisements called it, “A car that reflects scientific achievement, not merely social acceptance.” The “E28” generation was produced from 1982 through 1988, and its styling was drawn by BMW chief designer Claus Luthe who had been working with the brand in 1976. Luthe was later tasked with supervising the design of the subsequent 5-Series, so his influence in BMW’s cars of the era was strong.
Under the hood resides an “M20B27” 2.7-liter inline-six that uses Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection. BMW called it the “Eta” power plant, and it was pretty smart for its time. As BMW stated, “The car’s patented Eta power plant—not duplicated or even closely imitated since its invention—is guided by an engine management system to advanced it actually calculates the altitude, factors in weather changes, measures the engine load, and then uses all this information to determine the optimum balance of performance and efficiency.” When new, BMW rated the 528e at 121 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque.
It’s hard to believe, but the 5-Series is now in its eighth generation. As one would expect, the most current version is hugely innovative, featuring things like an iDrive 8.5 operating system, a curved infotainment display, various driver-assistance features, and an all-electric variant. It’ll also set you back anywhere from about $60-80k, depending on options.
As for the trusty old 1985 version, the seller is asking $11,500 or best offer. “Runs, drives, and rides smooth and quiet,” the listing says. “Everything works as it should.” What are the chances that everything will “work as it should” in the 2026 5-Series, 40 years from now? I guess time will tell.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
