Buying an E32 735i in an underground car park somewhere in darkest Prague isn’t what I’d describe as a textbook purchase, but as the screen light from my Blackberry helped me biro my signature and the date on the V5, all I could think about was the imminent adventure of the 1,000 mile journey home, and a likely economy figure of a 735i auto with 165,000 miles on the clock...

Joke is, the car cost 1,400 CZK – about £50. But for me it was all about the achievement of reaching the UK in a clapped out Mafia-esque 7. Plus-points included half a tank of fuel, a brand new battery and zero corrosion, but these were soon overshadowed by the smashed windscreen, partially-collapsed driver’s seat, heating that was stuck on the cremate position (in the height of the Czech summer) and the car’s slightly tarred ‘21 previous owner’ background.

Anything less would have been wishful thinking, but as the miles rolled on, it became apparent that even in this state of disrepair, the 7’s blasé approach to mile-munching still shone through. It was stupidly comfortable (even with the dodgy seat) sat at 100mph on the Autobahns and, through shared driving, ploughed on for 15 hours straight without a hiccup – stopping only for fuel – until we reached the UK.

Subsequent models only got better, and although our guide doesn’t include the current F01/F02, because we don’t consider it as a bargain just yet, its predecessors just make for the ultimate in luxury motoring.

The E65 is the only one that represents affordable running costs out-of-the-box in the form of the 730d, or earlier still, the E38 in 728i flavour is more frugal than the V8s. All of these sit in stark contrast to the new 1-Series though that I drove this month – 47mpg from a 170bhp petrol engine is remarkable by comparison.

Adam Tait - Editor

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