Would You Risk This BMW M5’s Monster 246K Miles To Be Just The Second Person To Keep The Keys?

Which do you want to see fewer of when looking at an old car: miles or previous owners? It’s a question we were reminded of when we came across this Sterling Silver BMW M5 on Bring-a-Trailer.

On the one hand it looks like the dream find for an E34 M5 fan. It was purchased new by its current owner way back in 1991, and that unbroken spell of ownership means its has survived without being modified like so many have.

There’s no harsh aftermarket suspension, no tasteless body mods, and the 17-inch forged M System wheels still wear the controversial turbine covers that so many second, third, fourth and tenth owners have discarded on other examples. Even the trunk-lid-mounted toolkit, which is normally half empty by this point in a BMW’s life, appears mostly complete.

Plus the owner of this one is exactly the kind of person you want to buy a car from (and probably not the kind of guy you’d want to try selling a less-than A1 car to). The history file is thicker than a 1980s telephone directory, showing evidence of what must be every dime spent, and there’s even a hand-written log recording almost every single fuel fill and the corresponding gas mileage achieved from the first fresh tank at 238 miles in June 1991, right up to 242,924 miles in September 2018. That first 18.5 gallons of gas, by the way, cost $25.

The downside, as you’ll already know from the title of this post is that this M5’s 310 hp S38B36 24-valve straight six has powered it for almost 250,000 miles. And while some people will tell you mileage isn’t as important as proof of regular servicing, that’s not necessarily true. Yes, it’s reassuring to see a big stack of receipts, and the mpg figures on the fuel log suggest the car was used for longer, gentle runs. But things wear out no matter how well they’re looked after. Valve guides and pistons wear, timing chains stretch, bearings get thinner and bushes get soggy.

The ad doesn’t detail whether this car has had major work, like an engine, gearbox or LSD rebuild, though it looks like this owner would be the kind of guy to get those things done as and when they were needed, no matter the cost. If they haven’t been done, chances are whoever buys this M5 can expect some major bills in the coming years. But with E34 values looking strong, that’s less of a worry than it would have been a decade ago.

Mileage aside, this car looks solid considering it hasn’t been restored in any way. There are a few dings in the doors, some gravel rash on the lower front apron, and a towing eye cover missing from the rear bumper. But the light grey leather interior has survived remarkably well, and overall this looks like a really honest car, and a great base for a light resto.

Would this car’s one-owner status have you reaching for your wallet, or would you rather buy a classic with fewer miles, but which has passed through a few more hands? Let us know in the comments.