By Antti Kautonen
In the 1993 film The Music of Chance, a former fireman played by Mandy Patinkin spends his days driving all around America in a bright red, brand new BMW E36 sedan. Before he picks up James Spader and the events take an inevitably dramatic turn, he manages to accumulate a frankly notable reading on the BMW’s odometer in less than a year. I can’t remember it off the top of my head, but it’s something to the tune of 100 000 miles. Someone with a VHS copy, back me up.
This one-owner 1995 BMW 328i coupé, in turn, has probably seen its share of Germany, as the digital odometer on it reads 705,881 km. That is 438,614 miles and change, and for any BMW that’s not a turbodiesel wagon that’s a very respectable number. And it doesn’t even look driven to the ground. Take a look.
The flanks on the BMW appear dent free and shiny, and the car looks less rusty than any given 1995 BMW. Of course, it’s been polished by the dealer selling it, but that’s still a respectable appearance for any used car, let alone one with almost 3/4 million kms.
The odo shot on the ad should disprove any speculations of a falsely entered km reading on the ad. The image could be better, but it does say 705 881 on the slowly dying digital readout.
The stack of service books, with the reading slowly growing, back the notion up more. The ad doesn’t mention any powertrain replacements, but it’s justified to guess there have been repairs done at some point. The last stamp is mentioned to be at 681k.
Even the interior looks nicely unwrecked. Sure, that seat does look worn and the bolsters sag, but it’s not ripped to shreds like you would imagine at 705 clicks.
The asking price for this well-used 1995 328i coupé is 1498 euros. For some reason, what I’d love to do would be to get it and carefully nurse it over a million. I’ve seen cars for sale with km readings like this, but they’re usually diesel Mercedeses and not much else.
See a screenshot of the ad here
Link to ad over at autoscout24.de
By the way, the car in the original 1990 Paul Auster book was a Saab, and the filmmakers changed it to a BMW. Surely there should be trust in Saab’s engine technology?
[Source: Mobile.de/Autoscout24, with a hat tip to Joe W!]
Jeff Glucker 
42k or so per year is not that much… Only people who usually do that kind of mileage change cars more often than every 17 years. Pretty cool. Also has it really been over 17 years since 11/95? Shit..
That makes my E36 Coupe with 235,000 miles look like a low miles car!!!!!!
I remember the "million mile Volvo" that I read about some years back. Now that is dedication and a love of cruising.
That million mile Volvo is over 2 million miles now.
it's at just about 3m as of a year ago.
I've heard it's over 7 million now.
<img src="http://cache.ohinternet.com/images/thumb/1/1e/Over_9000_Vector_by_Vernacular.jpg/618px-Over_9000_Vector_by_Vernacular.jpg">
I've been looking for an E36 sedan recently but they all seem to have high miles. I guess I'm just stuck thinking that 1990 was 10 years ago and a 1995 BMW is not old at all.
I'm with you. Anything newer than 2000 sounds new to me.
It's only with great difficulty that I've recently stopped thinking that way about cars from the 1970s.
Mostly.
Must just be our childhood influence. I was born in '89 so Fox-body Mustangs, 3rd-gen Camaros and E36 Bimmers just look right to me.
I just realized that in 1990 I got a 1977 Corvette at the end of my junior year of high school (I had been working a job since before my freshman year) and to get the same age Corvette today (13 years old) I would need to get a 2000. Wish I could afford a 2000 Corvette today.
Both of my current (running) vehicles were made in the last 10 years, but neither one of them feel "new". They are both body on frame RWD 6 cylinders. They don't have GPS, Bluetooth, or any sort of display screen. I have a 2004 Trailblazer and a 2011 Silverado WT. I will have the Trailblazer at least another 4 years, until the Silverado is paid off, and according to my calculations and annual mileage I might be driving the Silverado well into my 70s (I'm 40). I figure that since either 1955 or 1985 (depending on if you count the V-8 or V-6 version) GM managed to get all the bugs out of the 4.3L V-6. It should be good for 300k-400k miles.
When we're all gone the mutant cockroaches will drive 4.3L Blazers through a nuclear winter.
…and he still has a quarter tank of gas left. Amazing.
My E36 328i sedan has 192k, and it's needed some… love to make it that far. I'm not doubting it could last that long, but man would it be expensive.
Double VANOS problems.
[youtube H5rB95xGPjA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5rB95xGPjA youtube]
The Music of Chance is on Youtube, if you really want to confirm that mileage.
I can think of much worse things to put 42k a year on though.
Wow, plastic wheelcovers FTW!