Man Buys E23 BMW 733i in 1984, 40 Years Later He Just Sold It for iPhone 16 Pro Max Money

BMW manufactured the E23 7er from 1977 to 1986 when it was replaced by the E32 – although fun fact, the E23 remained on sale in the U.S. for an additional year.

One of the E23’s standout features was tech related. This was one of the first cars (period) to offer an onboard computer, with functions such as a service interval indicator and fuel consumption data. You didn’t see this sort of thing on many cars back in those days.

The E23 also came with ABS and airbags, long before such systems became standard across the industry. In other words, it was one of the safest luxury sedans in the world.

In terms of performance, these 7 Series models came with a range of inline-six engines, ensuring smooth power delivery. However, entry-level specs could feel underpowered at times, and ideally, you’d have wanted either the 735i or the 745i, both of which had well over 200 horsepower.

The car we’re looking at here is a 733i variant from 1984, which means its M30B32 inline-six unit is putting down 181 horsepower and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque, with everything going to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. According to the ad, work has been done to replace the starter, fuel pump, filter, battery, ignition switch, and distributor cap.

Now, what’s interesting is that this literally just sold for $1,450 at auction, which is a ridiculously low price. It’s what you’d pay today for a brand-new 512 gb iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Sure, there is corrosion on the exhaust and the car has had issues over time, not to mention the fact that the dashboard lights and gauges don’t work, and neither does air conditioning or the power windows – but I reckon somebody could try and fix this Bimmer up and then recoup their investment should they want to flip the car. It won’t be easy, but it’s doable, especially with some original parts.

Other things worth mentioning here are how this was actually a one-owner car, and that it comes with dual exhaust tips, a retractable antenna, a set of chrome 18” aftermarket wheels (not a big fan of those; would look for some original wheels), beige leather seats (also power-adjustable), a Kenwood stereo, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The six-digit odometer shows 164,000 miles, which we assume are real.

A closer look inside will also reveal that the dashboard is cracked and that the steering wheel is off-center. But again, this sort of thing shouldn’t be difficult to fix.