I studied German for a solid seven years in school, but the only use I’ve ever found for my efforts is trawling eBay Germany for Euro-market vintage cars and fantasizing about traveling around Europe in style and bringing home the ultimate souvenir. In other words, I’m getting my money’s worth. Usually, I gravitate toward cars that came to the U.S. during the big-bumper years, drooling over what they were intended to look like. Today’s Vaterland find is just such a car, and an engine variant that we didn’t get here, to boot. This 1978 BMW 728 has recently been recommissioned after laying dormant since 2001, and is offered via eBay.de in Albstadt Ebingen, Germany (south of Stuttgart) for €4,900, or $5,759 at current exchange rates.
Now, just because we didn’t get the 728 doesn’t make it automatically desirable; that’s a carbureted 2.8-liter inline six, compared to the fuel-injected 3.2 in the U.S.-market 733i, and in this case, it’s hooked up to a three-speed automatic. Still, it’s only down about 10 horsepower on the emissions-compliant U.S. motor, and without the big bumpers (and a fair amount of luxury add-ons), curb weight is about 400 pounds lighter, so performance shouldn’t really be any worse. In true Euro fashion, this big Bimmer sports knit nylon upholstery with corduroy velour bolsters and wind-up windows, and no A/C, although the fan speed controls for the forced-air system are a genius design, encircling the analog clock. Options include a sunroof (Schiebedach), power steering (Servolenkung), and rear seat headrests (Kopfstützen), plus a smaller version of BMW’s signature trunklid-mounted toolkit.
My eyes do spy some possible rust in the rocker panels, but those lovely Euro bumpers really do absolve so many sins. The rear end, in particular, is so well resolved in this original form, and so utterly ruined by the U.S.-mandated diving boards:
Plus, the darn thing is avocado green over avocado green! If you spend any time with the online configurators of modern German cars, you’re well aware that today’s luxury car buyer has fifteen shades of gray and silver to pick from on the outside and, if they’re lucky, maybe a nice brown as a black or gray alternative inside. This, on the other hand, is style.
Call me verrückt, but I’d rock it in a heartbeat. What vehicle do you fantasize about picking up abroad for a tour of its homeland before bringing it home to wow your neighbors?
Cool
Atleast it’s not brown
The Avocado green is the approved variant of the seventies brown-avocado green death color palate. If it had a 5 speed……………out of the way schweinhund!. On another barely related subject I studied Latin for seven years and have yet to meet a Roman selling his chariot.
So you’ve not met a Roman selling his chariot?? Well certainly you’ve seen over the past several years, cars that once belonged to various Popes coming on the market, have you not??
Good point, BrakeServo…………was it a Fiat?
Just for the records, it’s Schweinehund……
Also maybe some proper Alpina or AC Schnitzer parts with a manual & be in love!!
Honestly i don’t like it, its not sporty, its not luxurious, it has no overdrive. Its not safe for a daily driver. This is definitely not a bmw to import from germany.
What’s unsafe about this car, fer Pete’s sake??
Probably referring to the lack of US-mandated side intrusion beams and airbags, which latter even the US versions of this model never had until later years anyway.
IMHO, this is the best looking BMW I’ve ever seen.
That’s because Paul Bracq is a genius. Before BMW nabbed him to design this, the first Seven series, he was at Mercedes Benz where he designed the 600 Grosser, the SL Pagoda coupes, the W108 S Class sedans and W114 coupes and the W115 compacts. And he designed the mid engine BMW Turbo show car at about the same time as this E23 was designed. Now he’s often one of the judges at Pebble Beach Concours, in his well deserved retirement.
I agree. Although I don’t care for the avocado colour, the car itself is attractive.
I LOVE this. If I had the money to get it here it would be slated for an S62 6spd swap + wheels
About 2K to ship that to the USA in it’s very own container. Das ist eine Schone BMW. Das Auto ist sher ghute om das autobahn 280KM par ur denke ich. That car would be wasted in the USA. I am tempted to buy it and just leave it in Europe so I could drive it around while I lived there part time.