If you’ve spent any time following BMW Motorsport vehicles, you’ve likely noticed that there’s a growing appreciation for the cars made before the current era of high-performance vehicles. This is because just like someone who adores old muscle cars, the analog experience is one that many of us crave regardless of our preferred marque. The BMW M5 has long been the super sedan to beat, going head-to-head with similar vehicles from the likes of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division. This E34 chassis M5 listed here on craigslist has big miles but also presents incredibly well; it’s listed with an asking price of $35,500.

That’s big money for a car that isn’t a low-mileage specimen, but like I said, prices have been strong for some time now for these older M cars. The E34 era was also one of the best-looking 5-Series models ever made, and good examples of desirable specs – say, a 540i with a manual transmission – are very hard to come by. The M5 is even more elusive, and when they do come up for grabs, the cars that remain closest to bone-stock condition typically get the most money. The seller’s car has some modifications which do affect its value, but nothing too dramatic.

Now,  the interior of this car looks good for the mileage, but it also shows signs of being a higher-mileage driver. This is not problematic for many of us, but it does work against the seller in terms of an asking price. I checked some recent auction sales and was surprised to see a fair number of M5s trading hands for $20,000 or less. I also saw that the cream puffs with lower than average miles selling for well into the $50,000 – $60,000 range, which shows you the challenge of using past sales to set a listing price for your own vehicle. No matter what, E34 M5s are hard cars to find, but savvy buyers also likely know they can get into a decent, well-maintained car for less than what the seller is asking.

No matter which side of the equation you’re on, the M5 is the sort of car you want to over-spend on if the maintenance history is strong. The 3.5-liter S38 inline-six is a wonderful engine – a legend in BMW folklore – but it also is fairly intensive on the service side, requiring a rebuild if on the higher mileage side and not over-maintained. The seller reports that a local service facility has verified the car to be in good health, only needing replacement rear subframe bushings and an overhaul of the A/C system, which currently doesn’t work. The non-functioning A/C is going to be a turn-off for most buyers in this very hot summer we’re having, but I suspect the asking price is the culprit as to why this desirable M5 has been listed for months now. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.