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Today’s Rare Ride is one of just a handful of custom-built 7 Series wagons, created by a coachbuilder who wanted flagship BMW luxury with additional cargo carrying capabilities.
Come along as we check out this large BMW wagon.
The E23 7 Series was the first of its name when it replaced the smaller “New Six” E3 for the 1978 model year. Compared to its predecessor the E23 took a much more modern form; one which remains instantly recognizable as a BMW to this day. Its design was developed by then-director of design Paul Bracq, a man who shaped many BMW and Mercedes-Benz sedans over the years.
Long before the long-wheelbase and V12 era, BMW made do with a selection of inline-six engines. In the 7 Series, they ranged in displacement from 2.5 to 3.2 liters in naturally aspirated guise, and 3.2 to 3.4 liters if turbocharged. Base models with smaller engines had carburetors through the late Seventies and were later available only to government agencies or by special order. Transmissions on offer included three- and four-speed automatics, as well as four- and five-speed manuals. The E23 was the first BMW to implement Bosch Motronic fuel injection, ABS, and to be offered with an airbag (1985).
In the United States, being the luxurious and discerning place it was, only higher-end 7 Series cars were imported. Models in the US were limited to the 733, 735, and the ultimate L7 fully-loaded model. Complying with regulation meant US-bound 7 Series cars had different sealed beam headlamps, big bumpers, and lower engine compression ratios than their European brethren.
Up until the late Seventies, German manufacturers hadn’t bothered to create large family wagons, as that was not their vibe. The disinterest opened up a small market for coachbuilders to modify sedans into wagons for the well-heeled, which is where today’s 7 Series comes along. The sedan you see here was transformed into a luxury wagon by a company called Euler, which spent most of its time creating different versions of the early 7 Series.
Turning the sedan into a wagon required a completely reworked rear end. In addition to its unique hatch, rear doors were redesigned to be larger and more upright and lost their Hoffmeister kink. Lots of rear glass matched well with the new squared-off cargo area, which was lined in luxurious parchment colored carpet. The exterior utility look was completed with some roof rails straight off a contemporary Mercedes-Benz wagon. It also sported an Alpina front bumper for a more aggressive stance.
Euler made only a few of its special 7 Series wagons, eventually giving up the ghost as the OEMs themselves offered larger wagon options for consumers (albeit not a 7 Series). The E23 remained in production through 1986 before it was replaced by the E32, a generation with which you all are undoubtedly much more familiar.
Today’s Rare Ride has quite a history. It was imported to the US shortly after its creation and was federalized thereafter. At some point, it was put in storage where its condition degraded generally. Languishing and with its value much depleted, it was subject to an estate sale in 2010. At that point, it migrated back to its homeland with its new owner and was refreshed and generally restored within the last few years. It’s now for sale in Switzerland for $136,000.
H/t to Jay Ramey at Autoweek, who drove and profile this BMW in 2016.
[Images: seller]
It’s magnificent and worth every franc.
Wow, how cool is this? It doesn’t even look like an aftermarket hack job. It wasn’t just BMW, few car makers offered wagons in their premium flagship models. No Cadillac Wagon DeVille or Lincoln Town Wagon, not even an S-Class Sport Wagon.
They did a nice job on this, I like :)
They used to have all sorts of variants of aftermarket chop-jobs of the ‘75-‘79 Seville: two-door coupes with a short-cabin, with or without spare tires on a stretched chassis, as well as convertibles. They could have easily grafted a C-pillar onto an extended-wheelbase chassis Seville and a roof extension and come up with something like this, and as I state below, from the B-pillar back, this looks like what a 1978-1983 A/G-Body wagon might have resembled had the General offered them with a shortened wheelbase.
Yes, and if I recall those all looked like poop
One of the variants wasn’t an “Excalibur” — that was a Mercedes SS lookalike on some sort of kit-car chassis. That’s what I thought the Seville extended-WB coupe with the side-mounted spares was! Damned if I can remember what the actual name was!
Those custom short/long etc Sevilles were all such trash! Bleh. Worse than a Quicksilver.
There are all kinds of Cadillac and Lincoln coachbuilt station wagons. Mercedes S-Class too. Of course, they are usually used to haul around dead people… ;-)
It was cool until I saw the price…
Exactly my thoughts.
That left 3/4-view from the B-pillar on back absolutely screams how a short-wheelbase, ‘78-‘83 (or whatever the last year was) GM A/G-Body wagon (Malibu, Century/Regal, Cutlass, LeMans/Bonneville G) might have looked! This thing’s probably about the same size as the front-drive A-wagons from 1982 and up (Ciera, 6000, Century, Celebrity).
I see a lot of Volvo 740 wagon in that Bimmer
https://assets.volvocars.com/au/~/media/australia/images/blog-i-roll/2018/march/wagons—volvo-740-gl.jpg?la=en-au
Sorry, try this link…
https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/5a7cb253bdb8f_151810675165ef66e7dff9f9876IMG_0344.jpg?fit=940%2C616
That is why this BMW is about $130,000 over what it’s really worth.
The Volvo is probably much cheaper to maintain, as well, although you’d have to install parchment carpet yourself.
You’re absolutely correct!
When cars came with greenhouses and not gun-slits for windows!
@sgeffe
Revisit the 1992 Accord for an ideal example of your point. I saw one a few weeks ago – it’s so low in the nose and airy in the cabin compared to what we have today.
Based on the quality of that rear cargo area, Lamborghini and any number of other supercar makers would have done well to have these Euler guys do their interiors at the time.
Maserati too.
Notice there isn’t an image of the displays or any of the controls.
The avionics-inspired BMW designs of the period are dizzyingly busy and they aged like Loni Anderson.
Don’t I know it
– Burt Reynolds
No joking there.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ac/dd/22/acdd22f832e0d909d8cb3df261f97666.jpg
Whew! That’s a relief, I was prepared for a current picture of Loni Anderson
I’d say she looks pretty darn good for a lady of 75!
youtube.com/watch?v=zalGIIz1Emw
Dolly Parton too, though I thought she was 71.
The metaphor was meant to be understood as one becoming a caricature of themselves— Loni Anderson’s post-surgical face is .not. unlike every exaggerated automotive design since about 2010.
I tried to use a b-list it-girl from ca. 1978-1984.
We could just as easily use Stephanie Powers or Jaclyn Smith in this example:)
“I’d say she looks pretty darn good for a lady of 75!”
Well, she’s pulled a little tight, every time she crosses her legs her jaw snaps open
It’s hideous and should be crushed. Now.
Beautiful, I would roll it with pride.
And for Oz, they could have created a Beemermino ute. We had a service department W123 in the neighborhood that had a modified bed.
It needs to be a stick. But otherwise…bravo!
… and brown, and, well you know the rest
4th picture, center console:
Q: How much real space can we take up with just an e-brake lever and A/T shift selector?
A: *This* much.
Seems an oversight the tunnel in the middle for the brake isn’t padded, and had no arm rest.
Really? Crank windows? If you said this was a ’71, that seems about right. Milking the old carcasses became he shtick of German carmakers.
Yeah I know. If you have to explain, I wouldn’t understand.
Probably doesn’t have A/C either. Frugal Swiss looking to save a Franc on their custom BMW wagons.