E12 5 series from banger to classic.

[axlon]

In 1996 BMW CAR magazine bought a 1977 528 automatic for very little money(50 quid), and fixed it up inexpensively. This car had the 4 barrel Solex 4AI and ZF 3HP 22 auto. At nearly 200,000 miles the only real problems were a blocked air filter, new prop shaft center joint, new power steering belt and the bonnet latch mechanism. I included the $37k BAT e12 520i link, because that car had the same colour scheme. The rise of the e12 collector car!

1977 528 Auto p1

1977 528 Auto p2

1977 528 Auto p3

1975 520i on BAT

Edited by axlon on Thursday 23 July 18:27

[Turbobanana]

A knackered 200,000 mile car costs £50 a quarter of a century ago.

A mint low mileage car costs $37,000 today (or at least, is advertised as such).

Not really a surprise, is it? No doubt somebody will be along to illustrate what a Sierra Cosworth or 205 GTI was worth back then.

The single biggest thing that's changed in the intervening 24 years is the ability for anyone anywhere to advertise a commodity globally at the drop of a hat. I do wonder where values would be if t'Internet hadn't been invented and stuff was still advertised in printed Autotraders, Free Ads, car magazine classifieds and Exchange & Mart rather than eBay, Bring a Trailer, Car & Classic or Craig's List.