1991 BMW M5 (E34) - 19,500 Miles

Forming part of The Vault Collection - a small group of best of breed cars that have been curated by a genuine enthusiast who wanted to fill his specially built underground car facility with the best possible examples of his favourite modern classics. Iconic Auctioneers are privileged to have been granted access to the 'vault' and are pleased to present some choice examples.

More than just a fast saloon car – the M5 has always symbolised speed, elegance and driving pleasure with a deliberately understated design. The 'E34' generation of the M5 was produced from September 1988 to August 1995, was the second iteration of the legendary super-saloon and the last to utilise a modified version of the engine that originated in BMW’s original supercar, the mighty M1. Production of the M5 began with the painted E34 5-Series bodyshells being transported from BMW Dingolfing to BMW M GmbH in Garching, where each car was hand-assembled over a period of two weeks.

The second generation M5 was created to appeal to a wider range of customers than its predecessor, the M5 E28. To manage that, more safety features were installed, soundproofing was upgraded, the Motorsport-tuned chassis was stiffer but the redesigned suspension meant that the ride was actually more comfortable, and a few more creature comforts were added. This resulted in it being 250kg heavier than its predecessor but to compensate, the S38's 3.5-litre (S38B36) twin-cam 24-valve inline six-cylinder engine was further developed and now produced 315bhp and 266lb/ft of torque at 4,750rpm. (From 1992, this was increased to 340bhp due to the introduction of the 3.8-litre S38B38 engine).

From 1988 to 1992, the M5 featured the three-piece Style 20 ‘M-System’ wheels, which consisted of magnesium, unidirectional bolted-on wheel covers and an aluminium assembly with concentric fins that bolt on to the front of the black, 5-spoke forged aluminium wheel. According to BMW, the cover increased outside airflow to the brake assembly by 25% to improve cooling – an innovation taken directly from motorsport. Total production of the E34 M5 was 12,254 units (of which 8,344 were 3.5-litre and 3,910 were 3.8-litre).

The car presented here is a 1991 BMW M5 (E34) which has covered just 19,500 miles from new and is in very impressive condition. Finished in Brilliant Red with a black leather interior, it was delivered new through BMW dealership, Bert Smith International Inc. of St. Petersburg, Florida, before being sold via Bavaria Motor Services Inc. in Puerto Rico, where it was regularly serviced for the first 7,500 miles. The island is only 100 x 35 miles meaning that the car's mileage remained extremely low. In more recent times, a friend of our vendor was alerted to the car, and just how well preserved and original it was, notifying our vendor, who he knows appreciates best of the best BMWs from this era. He duly bought the car and had it imported into the UK and registered here in 2024. It did not disappoint.

It’s in simply immaculate condition, confirmed when it was treated to a comprehensive Inspection ll service (including gearbox oil) and health check by Sytner BMW (March 2025). It easily passed an MOT (expiry October 2025), with a glowing video of the car’s underside and general condition – something to behold!

Trying to find early M5 examples that have been so cossetted and driven minimally is now almost impossible; they were made to be used and they were, with most examples having covered over 100,000 miles. These cars just get better looking with time and hailing from an era of proper build quality, motorsport-derived engines and 'granite-like' integrity, this example warrants your close inspection.