Name That Car: BMW What???

Steven Lang
by Steven Lang

Air conditioning, Automatic, Leather Seats, and what passes as true luxury for those Northern types who are used to keeping an old European car. A rear defroster! This age old beauty will be sold this week at a nearby auction in Atlanta.

Name it. Year, make, model, prior owner, their phone number… anything that would help me buy it when I’m bidding against 80+ dealers. I need all the help I can get.

Steven Lang
Steven Lang

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  • Advance_92 Advance_92 on Sep 17, 2012

    The 530i came out in 75 or 76 and developed a reputation for blowing head gaskets with the thermal reactor emissions controls BMW tried. It was replaced by the 528i which was much better and used a cat. I'd guess 528i, but in that kind of condition any real manufacturer's problems from the 70s have been addressed by this point in the car's life, and any of the usual checks for an old used car would tell you plenty about it. Any chance you can look under the hood?

  • Bunkie Bunkie on Sep 17, 2012

    No, you all have it wrong. In answer to the question "name that BMW", the name "Bertel" comes to mind. (reference to the obscure SNL bit "Name the bats" from when Michael Palin was the guest host)

  • APaGttH APaGttH on Sep 17, 2012

    I so wish we could link to YouTube again. This is a prefect thread for the Saturday Night Live Steve Martin, "what the Hell is that," sketch.

  • Steven Lang Steven Lang on Sep 17, 2012

    Great guesses everyone! It is indeed a 1980 BMW 528i. Not even a grey market car. This one is the real Americanized McCoy with the 'retainer sized' front bumper.

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