BMW Used To Sell Its Mighty E32 7 Series Flagship Sedan With A Manual Transmission, But Good Luck Finding One: Holy Grails – The Autopian

Today, if you walk into a U.S. dealership to buy a flagship sedan, you almost certainly won’t find one with a manual transmission, and you may not even find a sedan. Cadillac’s Blackwings and the BMW M3 (which technically isn’t a flagship) are holdouts of a dying breed. This wasn’t always the case; if you look back far enough in time, you can find a flagship with three pedals. Back in the late 1980s, BMW sold its second-generation 7-Series with a manual transmission right here in America. But good luck finding one because they’re so rare they only seem to exist online (and our Editor-At-Large Patrick used to own one).

Last time on Holy Grails, reader Jack Trade reminded us that the Geo Storm and Isuzu Impulse had versions that weren’t just economy cars. Both of these cars were available as a shooting brake featuring removable rear windows. The Storm was the more common sibling, but if you are lucky enough, you might find an Isuzu Impulse XS Wagonback. This car featured the aforementioned shooting brake design plus a Lotus-tuned chassis with softer springs, stiffer dampers, and larger sway bars. Power came from a 1.6-liter DOHC four making up to 140 HP. If that wagon booty wasn’t for you, even rarer was the single-year 1991 Impulse RS. That one got a 43:57 rear-biased torque split AWD system, a passive rear-steer, and a hotter 160 HP 1.6-liter four.

Today’s grail returns back to the familiar realm of a rare version of a common car.

Usually, there is one reader or two who complains that a chosen “Holy Grail” is too common. Indeed, not every vehicle nominated for this series was made in single, double, or even quadruple digits. Sometimes we do find a true grail, such as the sole Duntov GT, other times, there might be tens of thousands of examples in existence. We try to keep production numbers low. I’m also open to suggestions for a new name for this series if “Holy Grail” has run its course. Remember, this all started when David found a rare Jeep and then kept finding them. Yeah, we sort of ruined the original meaning.

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Anyway, today’s trip takes us back to the 1980s and the second generation of the BMW 7 Series, known as the E32. This car is perhaps most famous for the 750iL, which sports the first V12 used in a German passenger car since 1945. However, there is another version of the second generation 7 Series that is even rarer than the V12 and perhaps more approachable for an enthusiast not super excited about maintaining an old German V12 beast.

This is the E32 BMW 735i, and so far as I could tell, it was the last time you could buy a 7 Series in America with a manual transmission.

BMW’s Flagship Sedan For Decades

The BMW 7 Series has stood at the top of BMW’s line of sedans for the past 46 years. Through that time, BMW has packed the sedan with its latest technology and cushy luxury. The controversial 7 Series of today features technology like a curved display as an instrument cluster, displays in its doors, a theater display, an LED ceiling, automatic opening and closing doors, 5G connectivity, and so much more. For today’s grail, we have to wind the clock back through several generations and not too far from the car that started it all.

As BMW Blog writes, the development of the 7 Series was the result of BMW’s success with its New Six platform.

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Launched in 1968, the New Six entered into a growing market of luxury sedans. Mercedes-Benz dominated this market and BMW, which had briefly stopped making full-size luxury cars, wanted a piece of the pie. The New Six, known internally as the E3, sold well and its platform was used as the bones for the gorgeous 3.0 CSi. The United States got the New Six in 1969 and in 1971, we got our own version called the Bavaria. That New Six featured the engine of the 2800 but with the features of a 2500. Production of the New Six marched forward until 1977, when BMW had its replacement ready.

The first-generation of the 7 Series, known as the E23, launched in 1977 and was a technological leap forward. The E23 featured a number of firsts for BMW such as an onboard computer.

Owners of the E23 also enjoyed a service interval indicator as well as a check control panel that warned the driver of faults with their vehicle. These are features that you’ll find in modern BMWs but have been around for decades. And BMW didn’t stop there. In 1978, the 7 Series got an electronic climate control system and cruise control. In 1979, BMW upgraded the cars even further with fuel injection and an anti-lock braking system.

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The first-generation 7 Series even spawned its own Holy Grail! The South African BMW 745i is basically the M7 that BMW didn’t make. When BMW South Africa wanted to bring the 745i to its country, it ran into a problem.

The 3.2-liter turbocharged straight six filled up the 745i’s engine bay, so much that the vehicle couldn’t be adapted for right-hand-drive. This was reportedly because the turbocharger and its plumbing are on the right side, leaving no room for the steering shaft of a right-hand-drive model. BMW SA’s solution? Drop in the BMW M5’s engine for 282 HP, faster than the European version.

The 7 Series Gets Even Better

In June 1986, BMW followed up the E23 with the E32, which moved the needle even further with technology. BMW’s design head at this time was Claus Luthe. His team, which included Ercole Spada and Hans Kerschbaum, were tasked with following up the E23, which was designed under Paul Bracq and Manfred Rennen. I think the team gave the E32 a sort of timeless design. Give it a set of halos and it could probably pass for an early 2000s BMW design.

Anyway, BMW introduced even more luxuries with the E32. ABS now came standard and the 7 Series was available with a parking distance control system. These sedans also had dual-pane glass and in 1989, owners could get features like a refrigerator and a car phone. In 1991, BMW tossed in some Xenon headlights, claiming to be the first automaker to do so with a production car.

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Of course, the top-line 7 Series at this time was the 750i and 750iL (above), which came with a 5.0-liter M70B50 V12 making 296 HP and 332 lb-ft torque. BMW says that this engine was the first of its kind in a passenger car since the end of World War II. But to our resident Daydreaming Designer, the Bishop, this is only one of the grails to come from the E32.

The Grail

As Bishop explained to me, further down the line was the 735i. Yes, this was the 7 Series’ base model here in the United States, but it had a trick that the later V8 and mighty V12 didn’t have, and that’s a manual transmission.

This grail is a bit of a different one for this series. I’ve actually been researching this car for a month. The 735i with a manual transmission is such a rare configuration that at first, I thought that it had to be non-factory. Few sites have even written about these with manual transmissions. My first clue that Bishop wasn’t pulling my chain was this review from MotorWeek. John Davis reviewed a 1988 BMW 735i with an automatic transmission, but states that a five-speed manual transmission was available.

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Later, I found a brochure, which shows the manual’s shifter standing proud.

Focusing on that review for a moment, something that I’ve noticed about some BMWs is that even a base model could be pretty loaded. The 735i still got a luxurious interior with the aforementioned onboard computer, power seats, and driver memory. MotorWeek also notes that the interior has dual-zone climate control and Davis was seemingly excited by the fact that the instrument cluster warns you when it’s cold outside. Other neat luxury touches include window shades and a side mirror that automatically dips when you’re reversing.

Power comes from a 3.4-liter M30 straight six making 208 HP and 225 lb-ft torque. When that power is sent through an automatic, it results in a 60 mph acceleration time of about 9.5 seconds. With a manual? The car’s a second faster.

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MotorWeek was also impressed with the engine’s thrust compared to how smooth it felt. Davis notes that hydraulic engine mounts ensure a comfortable cabin, even when the show’s testers were flogging the cruiser. MotorWeek also enjoyed the vehicle’s handling, but not the car’s electronically-controlled steering assist, which made steering heavy when the drivers didn’t want it to be.

In other words, the 735i is as competent as you’d expect a BMW to be. Sure, those features are nothing to write home about today, but remember, this was in 1988! MotorWeek concluded its review by saying “the $50,000 BMW 735i is nearer perfection than ever before.” Davis even concluded that the car was so good that it could sell for thousands more.

Practically A Unicorn

Through all of my research on this car, I could find archived listings for a 735i with a manual but not a single one for sale. Enthusiasts believe that 735is were imported with manual transmissions for just the 1988, 1989, and 1990 model years and that production numbers are in the low hundreds. I’ve found nothing definitive and in an effort to get some answers, I reached out to BMW. After a month I still haven’t heard back.

So, what I can tell you is that these might as well be unicorns. They don’t even show up on Bring a Trailer that often. Should you find one of these in good shape, Bring a Trailer suggests that you’ll be paying closer to $20,000. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to find one on Facebook you might luck out with a cheaper list price. If you own one of these, can I drive it? Drop me a line at [email protected].

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(Images: BMW, unless otherwise noted.)

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