Pre production BMW E39 M5 Oxford green
Discussion
The BMW E39 5 series, once hailed as "the best car in the world" by the motoring press of the time, even today the E39 along with the E46 3 series and E38 7 series are often lauded as "peak BMW' by many including myself so much so that despite owning many cars over the years, I've struggled to move on from this era of BMW so keep coming back to them.
When the M5 was launched in 1998 praise was high with it beating the competition in many ways.
Having just built an E39 M5 touring, ( https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... ) I was invited to join the UK BMW E39 M5 owners group on their stand at the Ultimate BMW show at the end of April and it was during the journey up to Gaydon where the show was, that several owners met at a services to convoy up to the show. It was at that stop off where I first saw what soon would become my 14th E39.
As I pulled up (my touring parked next to it) It immediately jumped out at me as Oxford green which is one of my favourite colours, is also a fairly rare colour and also what can been seen in the pic, chrome trim rather that the much more common high gloss shadow line trim.
After chatting with the owner it transpired that the car in front of me was BJ10003. For those of you who read my early E46 M3 thread ( https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... ), you will know I have an interest in early pre preproduction cars and as the RHD DE92 E39 M5 chassis number sequence started with BJ10000, that made this one the 4th RHD E39 ever made. During our conversation the owner stated that he was going to list it on Collecting cars auction site in the next few weeks and as its significance had piqued my interest, I said it might be something I would make an offer on.
After the show, during the journey home I couldn't get the car out of my head and I remembered I had an old issue of car magazine from December 1998 with an oxford green M5 on the front! Could it be the same car?! Unfortunately not as, as soon as I got home I went rummaging for the mag only to find that it was a LHD car.
S210 Dynamic stability control
S216 Hydro steering-servotronic
S261 Side airbags for rear passengers
S302 Alarm system
S346 Chrome Line exterieur
S354 Windscreen, green-tinted upper strip
S357 Protective glazing
S401 Lift-up-and-slide-back sunroof, electric
S415 Sun-blind, rear
S416 Roller sun visor, rear lateral
S423 Floor mats velours
S428 Warning triangle and first aid kit
S430 Interior/outside mirror with auto dip
S459 Seat adjustment, electric, with memory
S473 Armrest front
S488 Lumbar support, driver and passenger
S494 Seat heating driver/passenger
S496 Seat heating, rear
S500 Headl.washer system/intensive cleaning
S508 Park Distance Control (PDC)
S520 Fog lights
S522 Xenon Light
S534 Automatic air conditioning
S548 Kilometre speedo
S555 On-board computer V with remote control
S602 On-board monitor withTV
S670 Radio BMW Professional RDS
S710 M Sports steering wheel, multifunction
S774 Fine wood trim
S775 Headlining anthracite
S785 White direction indicator lights
S812 National version Great Britain
S853 Language version, English
S863 Dealer List Europe
S877 Omission of non-combined operation
S880 On-board literature, English
S916 Dummy-SALAPA
S991 Control, preseries
M3EG English green heritage leather
324 Oxford green 1
Built on the 19th November 1998, its the first RHD Oxford green M5, one of only four RHD E39 M5 in Oxford green with English green leather, one of only 8 RHD E39 M5 built in 1998, the full factory spec of 003 listed above with a few things highlighted.
S991 Control, preseries denotes that it is a pre production car, one of 16 RHD DE92 E39 M5's built in chassis number range BJ10000 - BJ10015.
S548 Kilometre speedo yet it is an S812 National version Great Britain car.
S496 Seat heating rear. Now this might sound quite trivial but heated rear seats were never offered as an option on the series production M5 and an option not fitted to any of the 15 other pre production RHD E39 M5's. There is nothing on the BMW parts catalogue but interestingly the wiring diagrams for them are listed on BMW's WDS (see below, MSS52 is the engine management for the S62 engine used in the M5)
The heated rear seat buttons are located on the doors just in front of the ash tray unlike the more common position on the back of the centre console, used by BMW for heated rear seats switches on other models.
Despite the car being built in November 1998, it spent the first two years of its life in Munich with BMW before coming over to the UK in July 2000 to be sold on within the BMW dealer network.
From what I have been able to work out, it is the oldest surviving RHD E39 M5 still in use.
BJ10000 Alpine white with Mtex cloth - destroyed by BMW
BJ10001 Avus Blue with black leather - no record of it since 2007
BJ10002 Anthracite with caramel leather - SORN needing work (according to a previous owner)
Nevertheless, I kept thinking about the car all week so arranged to go and have a proper look at it and decide what to do. After a proper look around and under it and a good chat with the owner it was obvious the car was pretty tired in some areas and cosmetically challenged when the owner bought it. He had had the car repainted, the wheels refurbished in the correct shadow chrome finish with a new set of Michelin PS4 tyres but other than putting the plate on it and changing back to pre facelift lights, it was as far as he went with it.
I couldn't let a significant piece of E39 M5 history go so after a day or two thinking about it, a deal was done and I was on the tube to collect it later that day.
The day I collected it just before heading round the M25 back home.
The english green leather has seen better days and somewhere along the line, it looks like its lost its wood to silver then partly reverted back to wood and the car had been face lifted with the later steering wheel, wide screen nav and later grey dials which I suspect were done when the car was imported in July 2000 to replace the original black faced KMH cluster.
So what are the plans? A light rolling restoration to bring the car up to a standard I am happy with so stay tuned!
When the M5 was launched in 1998 praise was high with it beating the competition in many ways.
Having just built an E39 M5 touring, ( https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... ) I was invited to join the UK BMW E39 M5 owners group on their stand at the Ultimate BMW show at the end of April and it was during the journey up to Gaydon where the show was, that several owners met at a services to convoy up to the show. It was at that stop off where I first saw what soon would become my 14th E39.
As I pulled up (my touring parked next to it) It immediately jumped out at me as Oxford green which is one of my favourite colours, is also a fairly rare colour and also what can been seen in the pic, chrome trim rather that the much more common high gloss shadow line trim.
After chatting with the owner it transpired that the car in front of me was BJ10003. For those of you who read my early E46 M3 thread ( https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... ), you will know I have an interest in early pre preproduction cars and as the RHD DE92 E39 M5 chassis number sequence started with BJ10000, that made this one the 4th RHD E39 ever made. During our conversation the owner stated that he was going to list it on Collecting cars auction site in the next few weeks and as its significance had piqued my interest, I said it might be something I would make an offer on.
After the show, during the journey home I couldn't get the car out of my head and I remembered I had an old issue of car magazine from December 1998 with an oxford green M5 on the front! Could it be the same car?! Unfortunately not as, as soon as I got home I went rummaging for the mag only to find that it was a LHD car.
S210 Dynamic stability control
S216 Hydro steering-servotronic
S261 Side airbags for rear passengers
S302 Alarm system
S346 Chrome Line exterieur
S354 Windscreen, green-tinted upper strip
S357 Protective glazing
S401 Lift-up-and-slide-back sunroof, electric
S415 Sun-blind, rear
S416 Roller sun visor, rear lateral
S423 Floor mats velours
S428 Warning triangle and first aid kit
S430 Interior/outside mirror with auto dip
S459 Seat adjustment, electric, with memory
S473 Armrest front
S488 Lumbar support, driver and passenger
S494 Seat heating driver/passenger
S496 Seat heating, rear
S500 Headl.washer system/intensive cleaning
S508 Park Distance Control (PDC)
S520 Fog lights
S522 Xenon Light
S534 Automatic air conditioning
S548 Kilometre speedo
S555 On-board computer V with remote control
S602 On-board monitor withTV
S670 Radio BMW Professional RDS
S710 M Sports steering wheel, multifunction
S774 Fine wood trim
S775 Headlining anthracite
S785 White direction indicator lights
S812 National version Great Britain
S853 Language version, English
S863 Dealer List Europe
S877 Omission of non-combined operation
S880 On-board literature, English
S916 Dummy-SALAPA
S991 Control, preseries
M3EG English green heritage leather
324 Oxford green 1
Built on the 19th November 1998, its the first RHD Oxford green M5, one of only four RHD E39 M5 in Oxford green with English green leather, one of only 8 RHD E39 M5 built in 1998, the full factory spec of 003 listed above with a few things highlighted.
S991 Control, preseries denotes that it is a pre production car, one of 16 RHD DE92 E39 M5's built in chassis number range BJ10000 - BJ10015.
S548 Kilometre speedo yet it is an S812 National version Great Britain car.
S496 Seat heating rear. Now this might sound quite trivial but heated rear seats were never offered as an option on the series production M5 and an option not fitted to any of the 15 other pre production RHD E39 M5's. There is nothing on the BMW parts catalogue but interestingly the wiring diagrams for them are listed on BMW's WDS (see below, MSS52 is the engine management for the S62 engine used in the M5)
The heated rear seat buttons are located on the doors just in front of the ash tray unlike the more common position on the back of the centre console, used by BMW for heated rear seats switches on other models.
Despite the car being built in November 1998, it spent the first two years of its life in Munich with BMW before coming over to the UK in July 2000 to be sold on within the BMW dealer network.
From what I have been able to work out, it is the oldest surviving RHD E39 M5 still in use.
BJ10000 Alpine white with Mtex cloth - destroyed by BMW
BJ10001 Avus Blue with black leather - no record of it since 2007
BJ10002 Anthracite with caramel leather - SORN needing work (according to a previous owner)
Nevertheless, I kept thinking about the car all week so arranged to go and have a proper look at it and decide what to do. After a proper look around and under it and a good chat with the owner it was obvious the car was pretty tired in some areas and cosmetically challenged when the owner bought it. He had had the car repainted, the wheels refurbished in the correct shadow chrome finish with a new set of Michelin PS4 tyres but other than putting the plate on it and changing back to pre facelift lights, it was as far as he went with it.
I couldn't let a significant piece of E39 M5 history go so after a day or two thinking about it, a deal was done and I was on the tube to collect it later that day.
The day I collected it just before heading round the M25 back home.
The english green leather has seen better days and somewhere along the line, it looks like its lost its wood to silver then partly reverted back to wood and the car had been face lifted with the later steering wheel, wide screen nav and later grey dials which I suspect were done when the car was imported in July 2000 to replace the original black faced KMH cluster.
So what are the plans? A light rolling restoration to bring the car up to a standard I am happy with so stay tuned!
Edited by BSSBMW on Wednesday 24th May 21:49
Edited by BSSBMW on Tuesday 13th June 23:33
Despite the car being built in November 1998, it spent the first two years of its life in Munich with BMW before coming over to the UK in July 2000 to be sold on within the BMW dealer network
That might not be fully correct. Having worked for BMW in the past, the general process of pre-prod cars was that they were built, sent to the UK for testing various things, mostly technology, then after a period of about 9 months would be defleeted. At that point it usually sits around for quite some time before being permanently exported back to Munich. Who then also store it for a few more months, before being brought back to the UK, and sold.
It is therefore likely to have been registered twice in the UK, and I suspect the reg date you are seeing, is from it's second arrival on these shores.
That might not be fully correct. Having worked for BMW in the past, the general process of pre-prod cars was that they were built, sent to the UK for testing various things, mostly technology, then after a period of about 9 months would be defleeted. At that point it usually sits around for quite some time before being permanently exported back to Munich. Who then also store it for a few more months, before being brought back to the UK, and sold.
It is therefore likely to have been registered twice in the UK, and I suspect the reg date you are seeing, is from it's second arrival on these shores.
Yesssss Barry, love that - green with chrome trim and 'Heritage' leather... 
Given your level of work I look forward to seeing progress on this one! Hope it doesn't come at the expense of the Touring being neglected - if so will need to get my house on the market so I can give her a good home
Given your level of work I look forward to seeing progress on this one! Hope it doesn't come at the expense of the Touring being neglected - if so will need to get my house on the market so I can give her a good home
Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
Despite the car being built in November 1998, it spent the first two years of its life in Munich with BMW before coming over to the UK in July 2000 to be sold on within the BMW dealer network
That might not be fully correct. Having worked for BMW in the past, the general process of pre-prod cars was that they were built, sent to the UK for testing various things, mostly technology, then after a period of about 9 months would be defleeted. At that point it usually sits around for quite some time before being permanently exported back to Munich. Who then also store it for a few more months, before being brought back to the UK, and sold.
It is therefore likely to have been registered twice in the UK, and I suspect the reg date you are seeing, is from it's second arrival on these shores.
This is quite interesting as I used to have a F31 330d that I bought direct from a BMW dealership at 5 years old with only 500 miles on the clock. Nobody really new where it had been but as I was listed as the first owner after BMW I received a full 3 year warranty so wasn't that bothered.That might not be fully correct. Having worked for BMW in the past, the general process of pre-prod cars was that they were built, sent to the UK for testing various things, mostly technology, then after a period of about 9 months would be defleeted. At that point it usually sits around for quite some time before being permanently exported back to Munich. Who then also store it for a few more months, before being brought back to the UK, and sold.
It is therefore likely to have been registered twice in the UK, and I suspect the reg date you are seeing, is from it's second arrival on these shores.
When I first connected the BMW App to the car on my phone it's last known location was in Germany and a checked listed the car has having been exported.
Can I ask what the log book lists this car as? In my F31 it just listed it as a BMW and colour blue, there was no model reference as it was pre-production.
This did cause some headaches with both insurance and valuations when I came to sell the car as nobody could find it online.
fred bloggs said:
Being pre euro 4 are these ulez compliant ?
No E39’s are ULEZ compliant. E60s did not become ULEZ compliant until 2005.E46’s also did not become ULEZ compliant until 2005, so only very late coupes and convertibles were ULEZ until they were phased out and replaced with the E92 and E93 in late 2006.
V 02 said:
Very nice.
Although, a bit of BMW beadery: the steering wheel fitted to your M5 doesn’t appear to be from a 1998 car, its the same steering wheel as the E46 M3 and which was fitted to E39’s from late 2000, early 2001.
The original steering wheel would have looked like this.
This will be of great interest to readers of this thread who didn't know that. It's certain that BSSBMW will also share this knowledge with you and other M5 aficionados. Although, a bit of BMW beadery: the steering wheel fitted to your M5 doesn’t appear to be from a 1998 car, its the same steering wheel as the E46 M3 and which was fitted to E39’s from late 2000, early 2001.
The original steering wheel would have looked like this.
V 02 said:
No E39’s are ULEZ compliant. E60s did not become ULEZ compliant until 2005.
E46’s also did not become ULEZ compliant until 2005, so only very late coupes and convertibles were ULEZ until they were phased out and replaced with the E92 and E93 in late 2006.
Incorrect. E46’s also did not become ULEZ compliant until 2005, so only very late coupes and convertibles were ULEZ until they were phased out and replaced with the E92 and E93 in late 2006.
To be compliant, a petrol car needs only meet Euro 4 levels of NOx emissions, which you demonstrate to TfL with a manufacturer’s certificate if their database doesn’t like it - plenty of Euro 3 petrols (including E39s with M54s) are exempt. Not M5s, though.
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