In the late 1990s, BMW made the following statement about its flagship sedan: “The 7-Series is the embodiment of the BMW philosophy that a luxury car should also be exhilarating to drive.” The company also alleged that the 7-Series was “a true performance car in a very luxurious disguise.”
The Pick of the Day is a 1998 BMW 740i listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Manchester, Tennessee. (Click the link to view the listing)
Showing just 81,681 original miles on its odometer, this Oxford Green executive sedan has a Sand Beige leather interior and is said to have a clean Carfax report. “The car runs great and looks great. Well-maintained and garage kept,” the listing says.
The “E38” chassis marked the third generation of the BMW 7-Series full-sized sedans. The platform ranged from model years 1995 through 2001 and was available in various wheelbase configurations and engine offerings. The “L” version had a long wheelbase, and limousine versions were also offered in limited production. Today’s featured car has the long wheelbase.
Under its hood, the power comes from a 4.4-liter V8 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. When new, the car was rated at 282 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The seller says that the car has received recent maintenance and new tires. Worth noting, some E38s came with a massive V12!
For me, the late-1990s-era 7-Series models will forever be associated with the 2002 action/thriller movie The Transporter, which starred Jason Statham. Statham played a “transporter” named Frank Martin who was hired to move items (or even people) from one location to another, with “no questions asked.” Frank’s executive ride of choice was a black 1995 735i, and in the movie, it had a manual transmission (something that was not offered in North American-market cars).
The last E38s were produced in July 2001, and I’m probably a little biased, but I think the design has aged well over the last nearly two and a half decades. The design conveys an “old money” sort of vibe, yet well-kept examples can readily be found at attractive (and even cheap) price points these days.
To illustrate that: The 1998 740i had an original suggested retail price of $62,070 when new. The asking price for today’s low-mileage Oxford Green example is just $10,000.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, check it out in the archives at Pick of the Day.
