One of the many Y2K-era cars that has started picking up speed in the “classic” realm is the BMW 7 Series flagship sedan from the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Many consider it a high point in BMW history. The Pick of the Day, a 2000 BMW 740i, is a prime example of how well the design has aged over the last couple of decades. It is currently listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Santa Ysabel, California.
Back in 2003, my friend Geoffrey brought his dad’s above-pictured 2001 BMW 740i Sport over one day to pick me up for dinner. That car was elite! When new, it had a sticker price of nearly $70,000. We felt like high-rollers for the evening. The “M Parallel” split five-spoke wheels have easily taken a top-five spot as far as my rankings of attractive wheel designs in automotive history.
This “7” hails from the same generation, which became known by its E38 chassis code, and was built for model years 1995-2001. According to the details shared in the listing, the car was kept by its original owner for the first 20 years and regularly maintained by BMW of San Diego in that time frame.
Based on some cross-referencing of BMW promotional materials, the exterior paint color is most likely Alpine White. Exterior features include fog lamps, kidney grilles, black beltline and rocker panel moldings, and tinted windows. The shocker for me was seeing that this car has 222,000 miles on the odometer. Based on the condition, I would have guessed it had been driven only half that many miles.
The cabin, upholstered in tan Nappa leather, is in similarly well-kept shape. Features include power-adjustable front bucket seats, woodgrain trim, dual-zone automatic climate control, audio system with CD changer, and power moonroof with one-touch operation.
Under the hood is an M62 4.4-liter DOHC V-8 that was rated at 282 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque when new. A ZF five-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels. Recent work has been done involving the timing chain, air conditioning compressor, fan, battery, suspension, control arms, hubs, and tires. There are scans of a dozen pages of maintenance records included in the listing’s photo gallery for your perusal.
If you want to ride in executive style and your budget is in the sub-$10,000 range, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a BMW this well-kept for the money. The asking price is $8,900.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
