Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Auction Action, BMW
Ex-Cowboys' 1991 BMW 850Ci one-off for sale in Texas
Click above the view a gallery of this custom convertible BMW 850i
Long before the retro-licious Z8 and the modern 6 Series, BMW's range-topping sport coupe was the 8-Series. Characterized by its distinctive shark nose and available with a choice of eight- or 12-cylinder engines, the 8-Series was sadly never offered as a convertible. But it would have made a smart-looking roadster, as one customer was evidently determined to discover.
Commissioned by Erik Williams, offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys back in their glory days, this one-of-a-kind 1991 BMW 850i convertible is now up for sale by a dealer in New Braunfels, Texas. Craftsmanship of the folding soft-top, as you can see from the images in the gallery below, may not be up to world-class standards, but for a unique V12-powered German cabrio, the $25,900 asking price is at least accessible.
Gallery: Custom 1991 BMW 850Ci
[Source: Automaniacs via CarScoop]
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Philip 10:35AM (12/30/2008)
My all time favourite car! Sad that they stopped making the 8 series.
Reply
Dondonel 9:58PM (12/31/2008)
Yes, this was the last great BMW.
Domestic 6.0 2:37PM (12/31/2008)
Yeah its amazing and its a v12 !!! what other v12 coupe is there ....
Reply
zamafir 2:39PM (12/31/2008)
Amazing? There's a reason this car is 25k, it's possibly BMW's most unreliable ever fashioned. Whoever purchases it better have a great report with their local BMW mechanic and a lot of funds.
Dave 3:14PM (12/31/2008)
Ummm...there's the CL600...
knytesabre 2:53PM (12/31/2008)
My father has a 1991 850i. Overall it is a reliable car (180,000 miles strong). However, when something does go wrong, expect to wonder if you should just put a down payment on a new car lol.
While having good and bad points, one thing you cant take away is that it is unique. Not as unique as the custom convertible, which looks fantastic.
jg 3:30PM (12/31/2008)
It's not unreliable, it's expensive as hell to fix. There's a difference.
And no one buys an 8 series if they rely on a car. (You think a door to door salesman is in the market for this as a daily driver?)
The word you were looking for is rapport, not report.
Ian 4:42PM (12/31/2008)
An XJS perchance?
LloydChiro 11:16AM (1/01/2009)
I think half of the V12 cars out there were put into coupes. The other half, sedans.
Michael 3:17PM (12/31/2008)
Yeah, the depreciation couldn't have anything to do with the fact that it's SEVENTEEN years old. Nope. It's just because it's unreliable.
Reply
carlbolt 3:39PM (12/31/2008)
So this convertible is made from a coupe? How is bending and torsional stiffness of this car? I am wondering how they fortify the chasis.
Reply
Mike 3:50PM (12/31/2008)
I bet that subwoofer enclosure adds the stiffness needed to offset the loss of the roof.
The V12 is costly to repair and sometime unreliable if the previous owner(s) took it to a Quick Lube instead of the timely and costly BMW dealer, if you want the looks and a little better reliability (I said little) look to the 840CSi. As for this one, I'd have to say its about $20K too much.
Is it me or do late 80's and early 90's sportscars age poorly? They look almost as out of date as the Brady Bunch house.
Reply
Bill 4:01PM (12/31/2008)
It's just you... I think this car looks better than 95% of brand new cars on the
road today
hoov23 5:53PM (12/31/2008)
agree with bill. also, this isn't unique, i've seen others. and you can always just have it done.
EquinsuOcha 7:04PM (12/31/2008)
Just so you know, there's no such thing as an 840CSI. There's the 840 CI, which is the 8 cylinder, only available in an automatic 5 speed, and then there's the 850 CI, and 850 CSI (also known as the M8). The 850 CSI is a six speed stick V12, and if properly tuned (by Dinan) it is possibly the sexiest car I have ever seen.
Oh yes, it will be mine.
LloydChiro 11:18AM (1/01/2009)
No, this car still looks amazing, even now.
Reader 4:08PM (12/31/2008)
I can't help but see a buck toothed, squinty eyed, and pointy nose nerd face in the front of this car. Thank goodness it was only a one off.
Reply
dinnercoat 4:16PM (12/31/2008)
Beautiful, my favorite BMW ever. Though I'd rather get one in coupe form rather than rag-top.
Reply
sanimalp 4:21PM (12/31/2008)
i saw one of those (minus soft top..) for sale at my local BMW dealer in passing, and stopped by to check the price tag.. They wanted $8k for it at the time, and it was gone within a few days.. I wanted it soo bad too.
Reply
CaptainSpaulding 4:27PM (12/31/2008)
Crack pipe...oh wait, where am I?
Reply