In the course of the center Eighties, well-heeled American automobile customers wishing to drive a flashy, highly effective coupe had loads of tempting choices. Detroit would promote you an Eldorado or Mark VII, for instance, whereas Mercedes-Benz provided a two-door model of the mighty W126 proto-S-Class and Jaguar had the XJS with two doorways and a V12 underneath the hood. For those who wished the evilest-looking new coupe of all of them in 1985, the one which regarded like its trunk was stuffed with kilos of white powder and possibly a deceased enterprise rival or two, you had however one alternative: the BMW E24 6 Sequence. At the moment’s Junkyard Gem is a kind of vehicles, a first-year 635CSI now residing in a Northern California self-service automobile graveyard.
BMW bought the E24 right here from the 1977 via 1989 mannequin years, and it shared a lot of its chassis design with that of the E12 and E28 5 Sequence. In reality, the cheaper 5 Sequence typically proved to be faster than its 6 Sequence cousin, because of the E24’s heavier weight, however the E24 regarded sooner.
For 1985, U.S.-market BMWs with the “Large Six” engine obtained a displacement improve over the earlier yr, from a nominal 3.3 liters to a nominal 3.5 liters. This meant that the 533i, 633CSi and 733i turned the 535i, 635CSi and 735i right here. This engine was rated at 182 horsepower and 214 pound-feet.
BMW cheated a bit on engine designations throughout this era, with the “3.3” engine displacing an precise 3.21 liters and the “3.5” displacing a mere 3.43 liters. On the opposite aspect of the Atlantic, the turbocharged model of the 7 Sequence was referred to as the 745i, regardless of its 3.2-liter engine, presumably as a result of turbocharging was thought of magical at the moment. In any case, the 1985 635CSi was respectably fast for its period, although noticeably slower than its European-market counterparts and their dirtier-running engines.
Individuals had been falling out of affection with handbook transmissions for many years by the point this automobile was bought, and so it has a ZF four-speed computerized. Later within the decade, U.S.-market 6 Sequence patrons had been charged the identical for 2 pedals or three, however in 1985 the automated value an additional $750, or $2,319 in 2023 cash.
Junkyard customers stripped every part from the inside of this automobile earlier than I arrived, so it will need to have been in good form.
How a lot did it value when new? The MSRP for this automobile was $41,315, which involves about $120,534 after inflation. The 7 Sequence was cheaper than the 6 collection that yr, with a $36,880 checklist worth ($107,595 immediately). The Mercedes-Benz 500 SEC value $57,100 in 1985, or a formidable $166,585 in 2023 {dollars}. Put one other manner, you could possibly purchase seven new ’85 Chevy Sprints for the value of a single 635CSi, with sufficient left over to put in a superb aftermarket audio system within the Suzuki-built Chevrolet.
As for these proletariat worms keen to be seen in public in a Dash, BMW had this to say: “So long as there are individuals who can afford perfection, BMW will proceed to pursue it.”