1980 BMW 528i
Time Machine
ERIC TEGLER
Published Date: 9/19/05
There’s a BMW television commercial in which a young man walks into a farmer’s barn and spots a perfectly preserved 2002. He starts writing a check while the farmer rambles on. Don’t think this happens in real life? Think again. Oak Hill, Virginia’s Greg Johnson didn’t even have to write the check.
Johnson says his 1980 BMW 528i is a “total time machine.” With just 14,900 miles, the car is virtually the same as it was when it left the dealership lot. This 528 was a machine for the times. As contemporary brochures pointed out, “It meets the demands of the 1980s without violating the concept of a BMW.” If you were after a spacious four-door sedan with a manual transmission and good driving dynamics in the late 1970s, BMW was really your only choice.
1980 was the final year for the E12, the first of the 5 Series cars. It had debuted eight years earlier, replacing the successful 1500-2000 series. Renowned BMW stylist Paul Bracq based his design on a 1970 Bertone coupe styling exercise that drew inspiration from the 2002. Initially powered by 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines similar to the 2002 and the 2002tii, the 520/520i competed with Mercedes’ 208 in Europe.
For the States, BMW moved the E12 upmarket, debuting it as the 530i in 1975. Powered by the company’s M30 inline-six, the 530i came with power windows, air conditioning, a sunroof and a “thermal reactor” emissions system that helped it meet American emissions requirements with little power loss.
Our featured 528i has its own 2788-cc version of the M30 putting out 169 hp. It shares the 5 Series’ MacPherson strut front-independent/semi-trailing arm rear suspension but features a new-for-1980 five-speed manual gearbox. The combination provided nearly neutral handling and a nine-second 0-to-60-mph run with 50-state emissions compliance and good fuel economy.
Johnson’s future father-in-law bought the 528i new but rarely drove it. The car sat in a garage in San Ramon, California, from 1980 to 2003. When Johnson first saw it, it was underneath blankets and a canoe. It hadn’t run in 10 years.
When Johnson and his wife were married, the 528i was their wedding gift. With some gas and a fresh battery, it fired on the first try. The car had 9000 miles on the clock, had never seen rain, and still had the build sheet in the driver’s door pocket.
The 528i looks brand-new, with a spotless engine compartment and interior. BMW’s classic instrument cluster and black plastic dash face well-bolstered but efreshingly soft leather buckets. The five-speed shifter, topped with a wooden knob, sits at the base of a center stack containing a Blaupunkt stereo and rotary HVAC controls including a digital clock with adjustable bezel for the fan. The large steering wheel has the roundel in the center, there are grab handles all around, along with wood veneered doors and gray/black carpeting.
A tool kit pops down from the trunklid. This 528i’s “Kastanientrot-metallic” paint is perfect, along with everything else. It’s bizarre.
Longtime BMW enthusiasts, the Johnsons recently took the car on a trip to Texas without a hitch. “It was totally comfortable,” Johnson says. “My overall impression is that we’re all spending too much money on things we don’t need in cars.”
The 528i is no rocket, though it handles with assurance. Shift throws are long, but the five-speed box is a delight, with easy clutch uptake. The inline-six has BMW’s legendary smoothness, pulling adequately to about 5000 rpm. Four-wheel discs stop you efficiently, the steering offers good feedback, and the air conditioning blows cold.
The car has a feel somewhat lacking in German sedans of the last decade, a kind of organic, confidence-inspiring quality independent of electronic gizmos. The 528i doesn’t tempt you to be aggressive, but it does make you feel ready to handle any driving situation.
Time Machine
ERIC TEGLER
Published Date: 9/19/05
There’s a BMW television commercial in which a young man walks into a farmer’s barn and spots a perfectly preserved 2002. He starts writing a check while the farmer rambles on. Don’t think this happens in real life? Think again. Oak Hill, Virginia’s Greg Johnson didn’t even have to write the check.
Johnson says his 1980 BMW 528i is a “total time machine.” With just 14,900 miles, the car is virtually the same as it was when it left the dealership lot. This 528 was a machine for the times. As contemporary brochures pointed out, “It meets the demands of the 1980s without violating the concept of a BMW.” If you were after a spacious four-door sedan with a manual transmission and good driving dynamics in the late 1970s, BMW was really your only choice.
1980 was the final year for the E12, the first of the 5 Series cars. It had debuted eight years earlier, replacing the successful 1500-2000 series. Renowned BMW stylist Paul Bracq based his design on a 1970 Bertone coupe styling exercise that drew inspiration from the 2002. Initially powered by 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines similar to the 2002 and the 2002tii, the 520/520i competed with Mercedes’ 208 in Europe.
For the States, BMW moved the E12 upmarket, debuting it as the 530i in 1975. Powered by the company’s M30 inline-six, the 530i came with power windows, air conditioning, a sunroof and a “thermal reactor” emissions system that helped it meet American emissions requirements with little power loss.
Our featured 528i has its own 2788-cc version of the M30 putting out 169 hp. It shares the 5 Series’ MacPherson strut front-independent/semi-trailing arm rear suspension but features a new-for-1980 five-speed manual gearbox. The combination provided nearly neutral handling and a nine-second 0-to-60-mph run with 50-state emissions compliance and good fuel economy.
Johnson’s future father-in-law bought the 528i new but rarely drove it. The car sat in a garage in San Ramon, California, from 1980 to 2003. When Johnson first saw it, it was underneath blankets and a canoe. It hadn’t run in 10 years.
When Johnson and his wife were married, the 528i was their wedding gift. With some gas and a fresh battery, it fired on the first try. The car had 9000 miles on the clock, had never seen rain, and still had the build sheet in the driver’s door pocket.
The 528i looks brand-new, with a spotless engine compartment and interior. BMW’s classic instrument cluster and black plastic dash face well-bolstered but efreshingly soft leather buckets. The five-speed shifter, topped with a wooden knob, sits at the base of a center stack containing a Blaupunkt stereo and rotary HVAC controls including a digital clock with adjustable bezel for the fan. The large steering wheel has the roundel in the center, there are grab handles all around, along with wood veneered doors and gray/black carpeting.
A tool kit pops down from the trunklid. This 528i’s “Kastanientrot-metallic” paint is perfect, along with everything else. It’s bizarre.
Longtime BMW enthusiasts, the Johnsons recently took the car on a trip to Texas without a hitch. “It was totally comfortable,” Johnson says. “My overall impression is that we’re all spending too much money on things we don’t need in cars.”
The 528i is no rocket, though it handles with assurance. Shift throws are long, but the five-speed box is a delight, with easy clutch uptake. The inline-six has BMW’s legendary smoothness, pulling adequately to about 5000 rpm. Four-wheel discs stop you efficiently, the steering offers good feedback, and the air conditioning blows cold.
The car has a feel somewhat lacking in German sedans of the last decade, a kind of organic, confidence-inspiring quality independent of electronic gizmos. The 528i doesn’t tempt you to be aggressive, but it does make you feel ready to handle any driving situation.
